Xbox Boss Speaks Out Against Exclusive DLC, Acknowledges The Irony Of That Stance

Exclusive DLC and timed exclusive DLC is a scourge- and yet, it is a practice increasingly promulgated in this industry. Back in the previous generation, it would be Microsoft who would secure timed exclusive DLC for the Xbox 360, for games such as Call of Duty and Skyrim. This generation, however, it has been Sony who has been securing timed exclusive DLC for many major multiplatform games.

This practice of timed exclusivity is not something that Xbox boss Phil Spencer likes much- and he has said so before. Speaking at the Brazil Game Show to Gamespot, he reiterated his position. “People always knock me on this; I’ve been on record… I don’t love the idea or practice of us paying so other platforms can’t play or use a certain gun in a game or do a certain level,” he said.

Speaking about Xbox’s own history with the practice, Spencer points out that he had nothing to do with that- and his stance is clear on the issue. “I know I say that and, Xbox history–DLC exclusivity windows with Call of Duty–I understand the fingers are pointing right back to Xbox. I can only be who I am. It’s not the best PR answer. But I don’t like that,” he said.

While it is important people differentiate between Spencer and Xbox as a whole, I also feel the need to point out that Microsoft’s Xbox exclusive DLC was never this egregious or bad- at most, they would get content timed exclusive to their platform for 30 days. Sony, on the other hand, routinely gets content that is exclusive to its platform for years, if not forever. So the practices are not equivalent, and in cases like with Destiny, they are insulting to a significant subset of that game’s player base.

Hopefully, this is something that can stop.