Microsoft is ramping up investment in Chinese video game content according to a report by Reuters. The recent urgency by Microsoft is in part to Genshin Impact’s success, a cross play free to play game from Shanghai studio miHoYo.
Reuters also reports that Microsoft is “building a team to scout for Chinese games”. Microsoft apparently has regrets over passing up making a deal with miHoYo for Genshin Impact despite having early conversations with the developer. It seems they do not want to make that mistake again and are scouting up and coming developers.
While Microsoft is still early in their investments in China, they have had some early success with games like Naraka: Bladepoint, a 60 player battle royale type game which has sold over 10 million copies and launched into Xbox Game Pass earlier this year.
The fight for content has never been greater in the gaming industry. Up and coming markets like China will continue to see serious interest from companies like Microsoft, Sony, and others who want exciting content to entice players. Microsoft has the advantage of a seemingly endless amount of money which puts them in a great spot to continue to bring content to the Xbox ecosystem.
"One executive, whose studio signed a licensing deal with Microsoft three years ago to feature its game on Game Pass, said the U.S. firm recently offered a licensing deal many times bigger for a sequel.
“We are not signing it yet because we think that when we fully complete our game, it will get an even better offer,” the executive said."
Wonder what that could be referring to.
Considering it says they “missed” Genshin Impact, I suppose this means there’s Sony restrictions in place that make it so it can never come to Xbox then? I do find it weird the Switch version is still announced (and advertised in trailers sometimes) but remains in limbo.
They should try to make sure Mihoyo’s next games aren’t skipping Xbox anymore at least, seems like a company they need on board for this to be a success.
Black Myth Wukong please. Thank you.
I know Microsoft wanted to develop their games but man they missed the big chance deal with Mihoyo. I think Xbox’s scouts are always hit-and-miss.
No wonder why Genshin Impact is not coming to Xbox
Yet more proof Sony are happy to pay up for “anything but Xbox” deals where it helps shift the narrative. Given how extremely monetised (and lucrative) Genshin is, it’s the only reason they wouldn’t try to put it on the platform really.
Let’s hope this means MS are putting a stop to bullshit like this.
Whatever it takes to have this game not as an exclusive on PlayStation. Nobody would be surprised if this game is monneyhatted by Sony. It is about this expectation that Microsoft should do whatever it takes to have this game on Xbox.
Genshin Impact 100% was moneyhatted by Sony
I am interested in Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. I have asked if this game is a Xbox Play Anywhere title. It is. Big win already. But now reading this article I think Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is a day one Game Pass game. Most of the XPA are Game Pass games.
Seems Naraka Bladepoint was already their first fruit of investment there.
S. Korea, Japan, and China, will need a lot of local presence, logistics, and all that stuff to facilitate deals and development support, it’s not just about seeing cool games and flying there and directly signing deals, they seem to have had been aware of Genshin before but weren’t able to get it before Sony, I imagine Sony would have it easier earlier being native to that region.
This so much! Looking forward to this one a whole lot. I don’t care whether it comes to PS too, just don’t let Sony fuck it up for us again with some annoying ass deal.