A report from Rectify Gaming is claiming that Microsoft holds the marketing rights to a number of upcoming high profile games.
Sources close to Microsoft have apparently told Rectify Gaming that Microsoft marketing rights for the following games have been issued;
- Borderlands 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Splinter Cell
- Battlefield V
- Madden
- Anthem
It’s also been claimed that Microsoft marketing will extend to Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Division 2.
Microsoft Marketing Rights
Microsoft marketing these titles, if true, is a big win for Xbox One. By holding the marketing rights, Microsoft will be able to advertise and market these titles with Xbox One and Microsoft branding.
This means that any and all advertising for these games will feature the Xbox One branding and will make players associate the console and the game.
Microsoft has previously had marketing rights for Call of Duty and more recently Assassin’s Creed Origins.
Recitfy Gaming has a history of reporting information from anonymous sources that have turned out to be true; including the name of the Xbox One X.
For now, this remains unconfirmed, but if it does turn out to be true, 2018 could be a bumper year for Microsoft and Xbox One.
Big Names & Big Games
The list of titles that Rectify Gaming is claiming that Microsoft marketing rights belong to is staggering.
Borderlands 3 is the long-awaited sequel to the hugely popular franchise and has been in development for some time. Borderlands has a die-hard fan-base and if Microsoft marketing it means additional content, special features and the like, fans may well flock to the Xbox One version.
Cyberpunk 2077 is the next game from Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red. The Witcher 3 was such a sensational smash hit, that any information about Cyberpunk 2077 is feverishly sought after. Again, having Microsoft marketing this game is a real win for Xbox.
Battlefield was, for many years, marketed by PlayStation and Sony, however with Call of Duty switching from Xbox to PlayStation, it makes sense for Battlefield V to do the same.
As for Anthem, it is EA and BioWare’s big play for the same space that Destiny and The Division occupy. Destiny is and always has been marketed by Sony and PlayStation. Having Microsoft marketing attached to Anthem makes sense for both EA and Microsoft.
It works as a way to create a point of difference and perhaps give players a reason to play Anthem in addition to, or instead of Destiny.
Until any of this is confirmed by Microsoft I would take it with a grain of salt. However, many of these games would make sense to be marketed by Microsoft, especially when you consider the competing games of the same genres that PlayStation currently markets.
If and when we learn more, we’ll be sure to report it.
