“Having An Asian First Party Studio Would Be Good For Xbox” – Phil Spencer

Microsoft have really bolstered their roster of first party studios over the  past year and a half, and they now boast the strongest and most diverse first party lineup they’ve ever had. However, Microsoft have hinted in the past that they’re not yet done with adding even more numbers to those ranks, while head of Xbox Phil Spencer has mentioned on several occasions that he would like to add an Asian studio to the Xbox Game Studios roster.

And certainly, that seems like something Microsoft are keeping a keen eye on. Recently, while speaking in an interview with Game Informer, Spencer spoke about the topic of acquiring an Asian studio once again, saying that the Asian market is one Microsoft would like to have more of a presence in (and representation of), whether that’s through a Japanese studio or a studio from elsewhere in Asia.

“Sure, we could do publishing relationships there, and we might do that; I think that’s fine,” Spencer said about having a greater Microsoft presence in Asia. “But I also think as we continue to evolve our platform, having a first-party studio voice at the table that is from Asia, whether it’s Japan or another market, would be a good add for us.”

Even though Microsoft have publicly talked about shifting focus away from adding more first party studios to actually delivering quality content through them, it’s good to know that the former isn’t something they’ve completely stopped thinking about just yet. Microsoft’s first party umbrella is already quite impressive, but adding a major Asian studio to it would make it even more so.