In the months of chatter leading up toThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered’s release, I had assumed it would be anXboxconsole exclusive. After all,MicrosoftownsBethesdanow, and Bethesda Games Studios’ only major release since that acquisition has beenStarfield, which is an Xbox/PC exclusive. The shadow drop strategy meant that there was no official word on what platforms the game would be available on until it launched, so there was no reason to think otherwise.
When the remaster went live earlier this week, I checked online and saw that it was on Xbox, PC, and Steam, but didn’t see any mention of PS5. I wasn’t exactly doing a comprehensive search, but that was what my cursory Google search turned up. So I thought, ‘Guess I’ll need to see if my PC can handle it,’ and went on with my day.
But then, while perusing TheGamer (a good website, check it out), I sawan article confirming that the game was indeed out on PS5. That’s where I play most new games, so that’s great for me. But the fact that either option could have been true points to Xbox’s ongoing issue in how it communicates about exclusivity.
Can I Play This Game Or Not?
Oblivion makes sense as a multiplatform release because it was on the PS3 back in the day, so I can understand Xbox bringing the experience forward for Sony players. But Xbox doesn’t always pick the option that makes the most sense. Its third-party release strategy has been, and continues to be, all over the place. Oblivion is just the latest example.
For some games, Xbox is taking that generous, multiplatform approach.Doom: The Dark AgesandThe Outer Worlds 2are both coming to PS5, presumably because their predecessors were on previous PlayStation consoles. But it starts to get confusing when games by the same developers actually are exclusive to Xbox consoles. Oblivion is a remaster of a Bethesda Game Studios game and is on Xbox and PS5. But Starfield, also from BGS, is only on Xbox. The Outer Worlds 2, from Obsidian, is coming to PS5 and Xbox. But Avowed, from the same dev, is only on Xbox.
As someone who follows the games industry, I can identify some method to the madness. Series that were previously multiplatform have been staying multiplatform, while games that have no existing history on other platforms are staying exclusive to Xbox. But when Phil Spencer is talking about having “no red lines” preventing Microsoft from bringingHaloandGears of Warto PS5, andForza Horizon 5, the most recent entry in a historically Xbox-exclusive series, is coming to Sony’s consolethis week, it becomes hard to keep track of whether there are still lines or not.
I’m glad Oblivion is out on PS5. I’ll definitely check it out once I’ve finished all the other great RPGs (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2,Monster Hunter Wilds,Citizen Sleeper 2) I have on the backburner at the moment as I make my way throughIndiana Jones and the Great Circle. But my Jenga tower-esque backlog highlights my point. When there are this many great games coming out, players being confused about whether or not they’ll be able to play a new game may mean missing it entirely.
I was looking forward to Indiana Jones, so I kept track of when it was coming to PS5. Most casual gamers don’t pay nearly as much attention. I’m in games media, too, so I absorb a lot of news by osmosis, even for games I’m not interested in. But other players just pick something up when they see it on their console dashboard, or when a friend recommends it, or when they see a trailer. They’re not actively trying to keep up, so games that aren’t directly marketed to them may just pass them by.
Xbox shadow dropping Oblivion is a fun move, at least in a vacuum. But it comes in the context of Xbox’s current release strategy, which seems to be no strategy at all. The company puts some games everywhere, some games on Xbox only, and there’s little rhyme or reason to which is which. It feels arbitrary, and that makes it hard to get invested in Xbox’s future.
