Phil Spencer Praises BG3 But Says Its Success Doesn’t Set Expectations for Starfield, Comments on Split-Screen

wccftech.com:

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer appeared in an interview on the Gamescom 2023 IGN livestream yesterday afternoon. To start with, Phil Spencer praised the incredible success of Baldur's Gate 3 but also said he didn't think it would influence expectations for the upcoming launch of Starfield.

Great game, but I don't think it has anything to do with Starfield. Great games coming out are always good for the industry. First, congratulations to Larian and the team. I think it's like what, a 97 rated game or something? As somebody who finished the original Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, and all of the expansions, I'm a huge Baldur's Gate fan. To see a team spend the time to make I think a true next iteration of a classic gaming franchise, it's always just great for the industry.

Baldur's Gate 3 is also notable because it doesn't have an Xbox release date. Famously, developer Larian Studios claimed it has an issue with making split-screen work on the less powerful Xbox Series S console, though last we heard they are still working on it and aim to provide a new update before the end of 2023. With the recent news that Forza Motorsport wouldn't support split-screen at all (like Halo Infinite, despite a menu glitch on consoles), the discourse surrounding the issues caused by the Series S hardware reignited. However, Phil Spencer clarified that Turn 10 made a creative choice not to include split-screen. He also maintained the importance of Xbox Series S in the market as a more accessible entry point for customers and said Microsoft is devoting resources to ensure Baldur's Gate 3 makes it to Xbox.

I want to decouple these issues a little bit. The decision to do split screen or not was a creative one for Forza Motorsport, it has