Xbox is taking a positive stance on exclusivity
Exclusives are back on Xbox, which means titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution won’t be playable on PlayStation. Maybe that clears up the confusion for some folks out there.
Exclusive titles aren't limited to just these two; others are coming in the future. Whatever was previously promised or is under contract will be honored. Beyond that, only multiplayer titles will make their way to non-Xbox consoles (IGN is going to love that one).
No, Xbox is not putting ads inside games
What Matthew Ball stated categorically and very clearly is that, in his opinion, using ads could be a way to make games more affordable through ad-supported subscription plans (Game Pass) at a lower price point.
Matthew clarifies that the idea is "not to fill games with ads," but rather to study how ads can help lower the cost of gaming.
An example would be watching an ad before a game starts on Xbox Cloud Gaming, not during gameplay.
Everything was explained quite clearly, but some journalists still had questions... maybe they should have just asked Matthew for clarification? Nah... why do that when they can just spread misinformation, right?
Microsoft is not selling the Xbox division
Another rumor floated by the "confused journalists" group is that Microsoft is considering turning Xbox into a subsidiary rather than a division (exactly like a certain company out there does). But according to these anonymous "confused" sources, this wouldn't mean more independence for Xbox, but rather that Microsoft wants to sell it.
Not only do they publish a rumor, but they speculate on it as if it were a truth confirmed by the company. I don’t know about you, but it seems pretty "confusing" for journalists to act this way, doesn't it? (Or maybe that’s just their standard).
"Gaming" journalism hates the truth
Gaming journalism lives on lies and half-truths, where the urge to be first outweighs the commitment to integrity.
Among these journalists, we have insiders, analysts, former industry members, and every kind of person you can imagine; the only thing missing is an honest person.