Xbox has acknowledged the potential impact of COVID-19 on the development of first-party games.
In a statement to GameSpot, Xbox head Matt Booty emphasized the necessity to keep everyone at Xbox Game Studios safe and healthy as the spread of coronavirus continues at an alarming rate. He also spoke about difficulties unique to each studio under the Xbox umbrella, which houses different studios from around the world. And while Xbox is "committed to delivering the highest quality Xbox Game Studios games," Booty said he'll be working with studio heads to determine what's best for their employees and each individual game they're working on.
Here's the full statement:
"We know that gaming connects people during times of social distancing, and we are committed to delivering the highest quality Xbox Game Studios games for our global community of players. At the same time, the health and safety of our XGS development teams is our top priority. Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected. We are supporting our studio leaders to make the right decisions for their teams and their individual games during this challenging time."
So, good news: nothing's been delayed just yet. Bad news: it sounds like there's a good chance there will be some delays within Xbox Game Studios in the near future. Sadly, it's just the sort of thing we should be expecting, and understanding of, in these uncertain times. Capcom is saying the Resident Evil 3 remake could see delivery delays, while a laundry list of movies have been delayed in the wake of the pandemic.
Some of the games being developed within Xbox Game Studios include Battletoads, Psychonauts 2, and Halo Infinite.
On the positive side, here's how you can play video games and help scientists develop coronavirus medication at the same time.
