Microsoft is serious about plans to release four first-party titles every year

"This is, in my mind, the doorway, almost like a starting gun, to what I think is going to be a multi-year relay race of first-party titles," West said, somewhat puzzlingly. Starfield may be hyped up, but this seems like a weird line to draw when Microsoft has steadily released first-party games already.

"I was sitting there watching the same [Starfield presentation] you were this morning and I was like… this is really the start of something that's going to then lead to Forza, then in 2024 as we go to Hellblade, and we think about Towerborne which is on the show floor, we think about Avowed, and we've got stories we haven't told yet as well, that are going to unfurl in 2024 and 2025."

He adds, "And then if you layer in also, Game Pass and the third-party relationships that we have… I think we are entering a period where this is the beginning of something that's going to be really special over the course of the next several years.

Phil Spencer is also very confident that Microsoft can deliver on its promise to release four first-party titles in 2024. "We have talked about it as an aspiration, now we talk about it as our plan," Spencer said. While hopeful, this does ultimately feel like a lot of corporate flower babble hyping up the company for stakeholders.

Earlier this year, Microsoft said that while it aims to release four first-party exclusives each year, the company still needs to "balance that out with careful consideration for each project's needs." Xbox plans to also focus on growing its existing gaming communities for games like The Elder Scrolls Online, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Forza.

Having a multiyear release plan will surely be good for Xbox. Having a constant stream of exclusives that players want to try out will boost the console's viability and get more players on the platform. The Xbox Game Pass will also benefit from having a parade of big games on the subscription service.

Starfield is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6. Players can purchase the premium bundles to have five days early access starting September 1.