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Microsoft turned down a deal that would have seen Marvel games developed exclusively for Xbox.
A huge part of a console's appeal is its exclusive games, and Sony has been knocking it out of the park with stellar franchises like Horizon and God of War. PlayStation fans have also delighted in zipping around New York City as Peter Parker and his teen apprentice in 2018's Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales thanks to a deal Sony struck with Marvel. But things could have been very different if Xbox hadn't turned down the opportunity to work with Marvel when approached by the company in 2014.
To him, three companies fitted that bill, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. But as Nintendo primarily focuses on its own IPs, it was ruled out. Instead, Ong approached both Microsoft and Sony, saying, "We don't have any big console deals with anyone right now. What would you like to do?" According to Ong, Microsoft's strategy revolved around its own IPs, so it passed on the offer.
Meanwhile, PlayStation execs Adam Boyes and John Drake met with Ong, who laid out Marvel's lofty ambitions, "We have a dream that this is possible, that we could beat Arkham and have one game at least and maybe multiple games that could drive adoption of your platform."
The Spider-Man sequel could be swinging onto PS5 next year. Here's everything we know so far about Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
