During the past few months it's become clear that Microsoft wasn't kidding around when it said it was going to begin supporting PC at great lengths in the future. However, many gamers have wondered if it would continue, especially if its cross-platform efforts didn't meet expectations. If Microsoft's E3 2016 Press Conference was any indication, then Windows 10 will be a major part of Xbox strategy going forward.
Today's conference began with a significant announcement in this regard. Gears of War 4 will not only be coming to Windows 10, but it'll support cross-platform play between the two versions. This format will come in the form of what Microsoft is calling "Xbox: Play Anywhere", a program that will offer both Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of its games at normal MSRP. These games will also usually support cross-platform play, bridging the gap between what were previously two very different ecosystems.
As Gears of War 4 game footage was shown for several minutes a banner stating "Xbox One and Windows 10 Exclusivity" flashed across the screen in regular intervals, something that was seen across most of Microsoft's game presentations today.
This move has resulted in one of the final Xbox One exclusives going to PC, signaling an end to the days of pure Xbox console exclusives being the norm.
It's a shift away from a console focus that allows Microsoft to avoid having all its gaming eggs in one basket, so to speak. This could be an important factor in the future of gaming as consoles become increasingly more PC-like, and Sony presents a serious threat to the future of Xbox with its best-selling PS4.
Microsoft debuted Forza Motorsport 6 and Quantum Break on PC earlier this year. In the case of the latter, performance issues muted an otherwise significant launch from the publisher. Thankfully, Forza Motorsport 6 on Windows 10 has been received extremely well and indicates that with the proper amount of development time Microsoft can deliver strong titles in its cross-platform fashion.
