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Xbox bets on Gears of War: E-Day as a console exclusive in a test of its strategy
Overview
Xbox has released Gears of War: E-Day as an Xbox console exclusive and PC release, moving away from a trend of multi-platform releases. Developed by The Coalition, the prequel explores the origins of humanity's conflict with The Locust. While critics question the exclusivity strategy amid high console prices and financial pressures, developer studio heads defend the decision as a way to showcase Xbox hardware and drive players to the Game Pass subscription service, all while the wider Xbox division undergoes restructuring and job losses.
Key points
- Gears of War: E-Day is released as an Xbox console exclusive and PC version, bucking recent trends of releasing flagship Xbox titles on rival platforms like PlayStation 5.
- The prequel tells the origin story of humanity's conflict with The Locust and brings back co-operative multiplayer modes.
- New Xbox boss Asha Sharma decided to keep Gears of War as a console exclusive, a strategy questioned by critics due to high development costs and rising console prices.
- Developer studio head Mike Crump views E-Day as a natural choice for an exclusive that showcases the platform's hardware and drives players to Xbox Game Pass.
- The wider Xbox division is undergoing extensive restructuring and job losses under Sharma, though The Coalition has largely avoided major cuts so far.