Microsoft expected ‘Xbox exclusives’ Starfield and Indiana Jones would have sold 10m on PlayStation

As reported by Eurogamer, in a recent court document from the Microsoft-FTC trial revealed that prior to confirming their Xbox exclusivity, Microsoft had expected to sell over 10 million copies of Bethesda’s Starfield and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game on PlayStation.

According to Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart’s testimony, even though they had projected significant sales for both games on PlayStation, Microsoft believed that any potential losses from making ZeniMax games exclusive could be offset by increased console sales through Game Pass.

Images of the document that came out in the FTC hearing are in the tweet below.

Had missed this from Xbox CFO Tim Stuart's testimony, but FTC says Microsoft had forecasted 10 million sales on PlayStation for "both Starfield and Indiana Jones" before taking them exclusive, deciding it could recoup through Game Pass and extra Xbox sales pic.twitter.com/5KdpDzKDZD

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 13, 2023

Meanwhile, Xbox Free Play Days are one till 16 July, and some amazing games are on the table.

Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, in 2021. While games like Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo were intended for PlayStation prior to the acquisition, all other ZeniMax projects, including the highly anticipated Starfield, were planned as Xbox exclusives.

Microsoft is close to finalizing a deal to purchase Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. If the deal goes through, Microsoft will gain ownership of popular gaming franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty.

Regarding the exclusivity of Activision projects, it remains unclear how Microsoft will handle them once the acquisition is completed. However, Microsoft has previously stated that Call of Duty will continue to be available on PlayStation consoles even after the Activision deal closes.

As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, Microsoft’s strategic moves to secure exclusive titles and redefine platform boundaries are reshaping the industry dynamics, setting the stage for fierce competition among console manufacturers and shaping the choices available to gamers.