Re-reading the quotes, it makes it sound less like an "Xbox exclusive" and just hopes that it will be "an enduring franchise" for the company.

I'm kind of torn on this issue. I've been really proud of team Xbox and their efforts to make the gaming industry better for everyone, not just the Xbox brand. This seems more selfish on Matt Booty's part, and I don't like that.

On the other hand, I was really surprised when they announced a Switch version of this game. Let that sink in. How toned down will the game be to even run on that hardware? and is it even worth it?

If you're a AAA game developer, sure, push your game out on every available platform. If it makes sense. There is something to be said, however, for designing and innovating truly next-gen experiences. In that case, maybe it IS in the best interest of the developer (and Xbox brand) to be exclusive.

Thanks for the confirmation! I was wondering how they were going to handle cross-platform-play and 100+ player matches!

Here's hoping they are fast and stable and full of anti-cheat!

I would think the industry would just adjust their own practices, in addition to the statements made here. It's pretty telling that a game like Fortnite (BR; as mentioned in the article, the Save the World mode still features loot boxes but you can see what is inside them before you buy) that offers a very straight forward 1:1 exchange for cosmetic items. Plus it gives you the ability to unlock some via in game challenges, or earning V-Bucks in game, and then buying the cosmetic items. It's probably THE best model out there right now. and OMG, look at that!! they made $1B in 2017 and $2B in 2018!? why not copy what's successful instead of making excuses???

I'm WAY more excited about 20, 40, 64, and even 100+ player matches. and I actively play some BR games. if Activision wants to compete in the BR genre, they should just keep supporting Blackout, anyway.

I wonder if anyone could track and see if there is a correlation between bigger publishers/demands + crunch vs regular studios/demands and lack of crunch? Seems like a smaller studio or one that has relative autonomy is going to set their own timetable and not try to cram things in last minute.

Thanks for the breakdown. It is a guessing game if the changes will bring people back or alienate players, or like you said, if players will learn how to "arcade" the game again. I'm excited to try it, no matter what!

@pauls: Maybe, but let those other attempts come and go and fail or succeed based on how well they build their systems.

@zero0010: seasons - but free maps for everyone. I believe.

How far will cross-play range? is it just Xbox-PC? or will PS4 be included?