Skip to main content

"PUBG is really getting the boutique, first-party, white-glove treatment from Microsoft," says Xbox producer

Being a publisher for the Xbox One version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds allowed Microsoft to treat the game as a first-party title, offering support in different ways.

For instance, Gears of War 4 developer the Coalition helped out the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds team make the Xbox One port, and lent their expertise on things like aim feel. Nico Bihary, executive producer at Microsoft, said that the support Microsoft offered PUBG Corp goes beyond typical second-party.

"There was this global assessment within Microsoft of how can we pair up with this super collaborative, super friendly and incredibly successful — in the short term — group for our partnership to deliver," Nico Bihary told Polygon.

"As you can imagine, there were a lot of raised hands within Microsoft to offer support. PUBG is really getting the boutique, first-party, white-glove treatment from Microsoft."

But this also extends to what developers, that aren't first-party, typically get from Microsoft. It seems Microsoft used its organisational and logistical resources to make the Xbox One version the best it can be. The publisher's first-party QA team provided their services, among other departments.

battlegrounds_taking_aim_1

This is definitely not the first time Microsoft allowed one of its internal studios to help PUBG Corp with the port's development. The partnership also allowed the studio access to Rare's water tech, which the latter uses in the upcoming Sea of Thieves.

Microsoft also had a hand in making the game feel good on a controller. Though that final point will no doubt be judged by many console players come Tuesday, when Xbox One version releases as part of Game Preview.

Read this next