From PC Mag: Microsoft has had a division dedicated to games development and publishing since the year 2000. It used to be called Microsoft Games, then Microsoft Game Studios, and most recently simply Microsoft Studios. However, this week the word Microsoft is being dropped as the division just got renamed once again to Xbox Game Studios.
Matt Booty, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Game Studios, explained on Xbox Wire that the name change reflects a shift in focus by the games division, and that the "Xbox brand has also evolved from its original roots." The games being built under the Xbox brand now cover games consoles, PC, and mobile platforms, so it made sense to class Xbox as its own entity rather than just a part of Microsoft.
Xbox Game Studios has certainly grown in size, with recent studio acquisitions meaning there's now 13 game development teams operating under the banner. They include 343 Industries, The Coalition, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, inXile Entertainment, Minecraft, Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, Turn 10 Studios, Undead Labs, and the Global Publishing group. Seven of those teams were added during 2018.
Microsoft is clearly trying to change the focus of Xbox as well as playing catch-up to Sony this generation. It's why we've seen Xbox Game Pass appear and why we are expecting two versions of the next Xbox console, one of which will be a subscription-only streaming box. But there's still a lot of life left in the Xbox One S and Xbox One X with exclusives Crackdown 3, Gears 5, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps all expected to launch this year.
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