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The Xbox One is being designed to offer both the best in gaming and the best in entertainment, says Don Mattrick.
Speaking to the BBC, the Microsoft president of Interactive Entertainment Business said that, despite the large focus on entertainment services such as TV, film and Skype during yesterday’s Xbox One reveal, Microsoft “loved games”, with many of those behind the console having been in the business for the last 30 years.
He said that the computing giant believed in the power of the net and multiplayer gaming, hence why the internet was playing such a crucial part in the new console.
Mattrick added that the Xbox One was an “unrivalled device”, able to compete with Sony, Nintendo, Apple, Google and other companies in the consumer electronics space, rather than one specific sector.
“We’re going to bring people things they love. It’s going to be the best in gaming and the best in entertainment, and it’s easy and simply to use,” he said.
“It isn’t going to require an always-connected state to the internet, but we believe in the power of the net, we believe in multiplayer gaming, we believe in a lot of the devices that we all take for granted which do require some form of communication through the internet. So that’s the pallet, that’s the base we’ve created with Xbox One.”
Mattrick went on to say that, despite being seemingly entertainment-focused, the company had announced “the biggest partnerships in gaming history”.
Microsoft last night revealed that it had deals with EA to provide Xbox exclusive content to sports titles such as FIFA, while downloadable content for Call of Duty: Ghosts would be available first on the Xbox One, before it is released on the PS4.
On top of this, Mattrick said Microsoft had also announced the biggest line-up of exclusives in its history, with 15 exclusive games expected to be released in the first 12 months after the console’s launch. Eight of these are expected to be new franchises.
“We announced some of the big partnerships in gaming history. Call of Duty, FIFA, those products people spend countless hours playing and experiencing, and we’re going to continue to build out our business,” he said.
“We’ve got the biggest line up of exclusives being built by our studios ever in the history of Xbox and we have the most third-party support from companies like Electronic Arts and other creators around the globe. It’s a great line-up.
“And people are really going to get a chance to see more of our games at E3.”
