Xbox director Phil Spencer said that games don't have to go into Xbox Game Pass to have a chance of succeeding on Xbox.
Spencer mentioned in a recent GDC chat that some developers have doubts about whether their games will join the Game Pass content library. Spencer said:
For us at Xbox, we didn't decide which business model would win the future. Developers often ask me, 'If I don't subscribe to the subscription service, is it that I don't have vitality on Xbox', which is definitely not right.
Just as we look at the retail business of selling and buying games, this is an important part of our P&L (income statement). And we've invested resources in that so that our developers can do great work here.
Spencer said in the video that Microsoft will continue to support diverse business models, including retail, subscriptions and free games. He continued:
That's where I sometimes contrast with other forms of media, whether it's music, or video, and they've really condensed to the point where maybe only one or two business models are still in play.
Fundamentally, I think one of our strengths in the game business lies in the diversity of business models and the strengths of those models themselves.
Spencer emphasized that it is the diverse and thriving business model that makes all kinds of great games available on Xbox. In an interview with Edge Magazine last December, he also said that Game Pass is not the only focus of the company's future.