Moon Studios creative director Thomas Mahler believes that PlayStation might eventually take Xbox’s lead in leaving behind console exclusivity for its titles. In a post on social media platform X, Mahler spoke about how he believes that Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s idea of releasing games on to more platforms.
“I know some people always want me to join the console warning, but I strongly believe that [Spencer] has the right approach,” posted Mahler. “We decided a few years back not to make [No Rest for the Wicked] under Microsoft because back then we couldn’t have shipped it for PlayStation and Switch and since we knew how important multiplayer and cross play would be, we decided to partner with Take2 instead.”
In the post, Mahler goes on to talk about his conversations with Spencer about the nature of console exclusivity, and how the concept would have been crazy if it were applied to, for example, movie DVDs.
“In my emails to Phil over the years, I always brought up how crazy it would’ve been if you could’ve only watched certain DVDs on Sony players, while for others you would’ve needed a Samsung player, etc – I think we can all agree that this would’ve been nutty for films, so why are games any different?”
Mahler then pointed out how, at this point, the core architecture on both Xbox console and PlayStation consoles are so close together that developing games for multiplatform releases “isn’t that big of a deal anymore.” It also helps that the design of controllers has converged into similar designs on all platforms as well.
“Consoles have been stuck attracting the same 100-150m players for over two decades now,” he continued. “If we want to see the industry grow, it needs to be easier for everyone to access the content.”
Mahler caps off the post by talking about Sony potentially going for multiplatform releases as well, saying that people should be able to buy whatever hardware they want without losing access to games. He also pointed out how Nintendo will likely continue to do its own thing, focusing on first-party development for its own hardware.
“I’d be surprised if Sony won’t end up with the same strategy,” he wrote. “People should buy the device they like the most, but they should then have access to all the content. And yes, Nintendo will keep doing their own thing because Nintendo is Nintendo and that’s okay.”
Moon Studios is currently working on its action RPG No Rest for the Wicked, which is available on PC as an Early Access title. Since its release, the game has gotten a host of updates with new content as well as fixes for various bugs. It features an isometric perspective, allowing players to partake in its tactical combat with a better look at the battlefield.
One of the biggest updates No Rest For the Wicked got was back in July 2024, which brought with it the content surrounding the post-game dungeon Cerim Crucible. Check out our coverage of the update.
For more details, check out our review of its Early Access launch.
I know some people always want me to join the console warring, but I strongly believe that @XboxP3 has the right approach.
We decided a few years back not to make @wickedgame under Microsoft because back then we couldn’t have shipped it for PlayStation and Switch and since we… https://t.co/A0913IXMkx
— thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) January 25, 2025
