Microsoft promises to deliver at least one Xbox console exclusive game per year

Microsoft plans to deliver at least one Xbox console exclusive game a year, and the first two have already been revealed--Gears of War E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.

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Microsoft is resurrecting exclusivity to help spark interest in Xbox consoles. It's all part of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's plan to reset the brand, and two exclusive games have showcased. More will follow and Microsoft now says fans can expect at least one new Xbox-only title per year, a rhythm that will be affected by upcoming layoffs.

"Players can continue to expect signature exclusives from us every year," games CEO Asha Sharma told employees in a recent memo.

This is the first time Microsoft has put a general cadence number to its Xbox exclusives, and before now it wasn't really clarified how many games would release per year. Although since Microsoft revealed games for the next two years, gamers had largely expected 1 exclusive or so per year.

Sharma's statements also echo those from new Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball, who was recently conscripted to help turn things around.

Ball says that gamers should look forward to a reliable stream of exclusives:

"This is the start of a program," the gaming CSO told The Games Business.

"Players can expect a reliable pipeline that validates their historical investment in the Xbox platform, keeps them as Xbox players going forward. And everyone in the industry understands that exclusives are important to the growth and branding of that platform."

Finally, we have Microsoft's official definition of what Xbox console exclusive actually means from chief content officer Matt Booty; basically, the term means not on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch.

"When we say 'console exclusives,' it means Xbox console. It'll still show up on all the normal places where we sell the PC version, and our cloud."

What games will be selected may depend on which studios are actually left to work on them.

Reports indicate that Xbox will hold significant layoffs as part of this new business reset, and it's possible that entire studio will close, sources tell The Verge.