Someone at Microsoft must be frustrated beyond belief right now, and it goes beyond the significant leak of Xbox’s medium and long-term plans. Phil Spencer had to step forward to address a leak initially blamed on the FTC, but later revealed as an internal mistake. According to the company head, many changes have occurred since then. One of the revealed errors involves Microsoft rejecting the proposal for Larian Studios to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox Game Pass on day 1.
Despite boasting a remarkable 96 on PC and a 97 on PlayStation 5 on Metacritic, the outstanding RPG by Larian Studios could have been available on Xbox Game Pass for all to enjoy within their highly successful subscription service. However, this opportunity was lost because it was deemed a “Stadia PC RPG,” as reported by The Verge. Moreover, it was labeled as “second run,” implying it wouldn’t appear in the Xbox ecosystem until several months after its release on PC or PlayStation 5.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor was part of the discussion. Microsoft explored various titles to fill the gap left by the delay of Starfield this spring. Of notable interest is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, with a staggering estimated cost of $300 million to bring to the service. Other titles, like the delayed Suicide Squad and Mortal Kombat 1, were expected to incur costs of $250 million each.
Additional considerations include LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga at $35 million, Dying Light 2 at $50 million, and Baldur’s Gate 3 at a comparatively modest $5 million. Microsoft opted out of including the pricier options due to their low return on investment (ROI) ratio, as the investment was deemed unrecoverable.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Dominates The Game Awards 2023 with Game of the Year and Multiple Wins
