Microsoft Locks Down Titanfall in Xbox One Exclusivity Agreement

Gamers who’ve had their eye on Titanfall, the upcoming first-person shooter created by Respawn Entertainment, won’t have much choice in choosing a platform to play the title on. That’s because a deal between the game’s publisher and Microsoft means that it will only come to the Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PCs.

Titanfall publisher Electronic Arts first hinted that the game would only be coming to Microsoft’s entertainment platforms during an earnings call yesterday afternoon. At the time Electronic Arts Chief Financial Officer, Black Jorgensen said, “In the case of Titanfall, it’s a brand new IP and its exclusive only for the life of the title on Xbox One and Xbox 360 and PC,” according to Joystiq.

That’s absolutely terrible news for users looking forward to playing the game on Sony’s PlayStation 4. While exclusivity agreements are common, Titanfall is the first game from Respawn Entertainment. Its two founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella, previously founded and sold game developer Infinity Ward. While at Infinity Ward the two worked with publisher Activision to create the Call of Duty first-person shooter franchise.

Until the launch of Rockstar Game’s Grand Theft Auto V, the Call of Duty franchise held the record for the fastest selling entertainment property in the world.

Read: GTA 5 Steals $1 Billion Call of Duty Record

While this is bad news for gamers looking to avoid Microsoft’s entertainment properties, it’s certainly good news for Microsoft itself. That’s because industry buzz around Titanfall has already reached a fever pitch. In fact, it’s entirely possible that the game will come to define the hard-core gaming experience on the Xbox One early on. Playable demos at industry events like the Electronic Entertainment Expo had users raving about the game’s seamless mechanics and player abilities.

While Titanfall is a first person shooter, players can also take over giant mechanized robots to take on enemies. That idea might not sound like fun, however the game won 60 awards from industry insiders for its unique take on the shooter genre.

The game could help boost sales for Microsoft’s Xbox One console. Microsoft’s line-up of exclusive titles for the Xbox One are a bit light on games hard-core users can get into. Titanfall goes on sale March 11, 2014. The Xbox One launches on November 22.