Xbox One: Microsoft investing at least $1 billion into next-gen games

Xbox One is still a games console, despite fears that it's a really expensive TV box. Microsoft has confirmed it aims to invest at least $1 billion into the creation of new games for the format, while execs Phil Spencer and Don Mattrick have shed light on the console's core title strategy.

Speaking with OXM, Mattrick stressed that people are under-estimating just how much money will be invested in Xbox One Games, suggesting that the proposed 15 exclusives within the console's first year will be rather big indeed.

"We just ran through our script and counted the number of exclusives," he said, "and looked at the amount of money that we're spending and the deals that we have, exclusive windows and [things to create differentiation]. I think, candidly, people are way, way under-indexing how hard we're punching.

"We're going to come out with detail on things, and people are going to go, 'oh my god'. Like, 'they were focused, they made this a core goal, core activity'. There are great hits, there's innovation, and there are world class creators plugged in. There's a lot of hyperbole about things, but I think we're going to deliver."

On the nature of Microsoft's Xbox One games, and the way they combine the console's many features, Spencer chipped in, "People are playing games on all kinds of devices, and games with different business models, with different engagement time frames. I think when we started Xbox 360, so many of the games were about 'I'm going to play it for four or five hours, and then I'm going to play online'.

"Today, our creators are really lighting up with the opportunity to build games that can live as full-screen immersive experiences like you're seeing on shelves today, but also the idea of building device experiences that live in the SmartGlass world that connect to what's on the screen. The ability to take your mobile away with you and continue to engage on it, engage with the game. The opportunities today--more people are playing games today than, I think, ever before."

What do you make of the above? Do you think Xbox One will indeed retain a focus on core games, or is it all going a bit casual? Share your thoughts below.

Thanks Gamespot.