Meeting players where they are

Microsoft was able to do well in the gaming division in the last fiscal quarter recorded a significant increase in sales. It is the result of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. However, revenue from the sale of consoles is continually falling.

While the Hardware sales have been weak for years, at least when compared to Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft is one of the largest publishers in the market after a series of acquisitions. This fact was given great importance in the Redmond company's latest annual report. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella once again indicated where the journey will lead.

Great games for more people on more consoles

During Microsoft's quarterly earnings conference call, Nadella expressed determination to move into new platforms. He referred to the sheer number of compelling games on external consoles and emphasized that they want to serve players where they are active.

“We are committed to meeting gamers where they are by bringing great games to more people on more devices,” said the Microsoft CEO, who also underlined the new role as a multiplatform publisher: “Earlier this month we had even seven games in the top 25 in the PlayStation Store, more than any other publisher.”

With this, Nadella is probably referring to a report that came up recently:

The games mentioned don't just include titles from Activision Blizzard's portfolio. Also the first Xbox games of the new multiplatform offensive are in the charts.

It's another theme touched upon by the Microsoft CEO during the conference: “Finally, we're expanding our games to new platforms, bringing four of our favorite titles to Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation for the first time.”

Above all “Sea of ​​Thieves” is said to be a kind of key test viewed and its success on the PS5 could pave the way for further ports. Curiously, the game is running better on the Sony console than on the Xbox platforms.

Diablo 4 one of the biggest first-party launches on Game Pass

It wasn't just the external platforms that were part of the latest business meeting. The general success in the gaming sector and Game Pass were also discussed. Below are further statements from Nadella:

• “In the third quarter, we set records for game streaming hours, console usage and monthly active devices.”
• “Last month we launched our first Activision Blizzard title, Diablo 4 added to our Game Pass service. Subscribers played more than ten million hours within the first ten days, making the game one of our largest first-party Game Pass launches ever.”
• “We were also encouraged by the continued success of Call of Duty’s Modern Warfare 3, which is attracting new players and retaining loyal fans of the series.”

While the Xbox hardware doesn't play a major role in the latest annual report and there is a report that console sales fell significantly in the third quarter, Microsoft is promising for the next generation the biggest hardware leap. What that means remains unclear.

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