What’s Xbox missing?

Reading Paul’s recent article on Xbox really made me think about what’s missing, and I can’t figure it out. During the Xbox 360 era, exclusives mattered a lot, and the online community was truly exceptional—nothing quite matched it. I remember how a friend convinced me to switch after we played Gears of War together; its innovative gameplay and compelling story left a lasting impression. We started hosting LAN parties, and I eagerly participated in midnight game launches—those were legendary moments. Although the next Xbox had a tough launch, it still offered some great titles. Now, I’m confused about Xbox’s new strategy of releasing games on multiple platforms—will it really help Xbox? I worry they might become the next Sega—just a bigger version if Microsoft chooses that path. No one can doubt that becoming a publisher is probably where they will succeed. But loyal gamers on Steam or PlayStation probably won’t switch to Xbox’s ecosystem. So what will really change? While I’m glad to see the end of strict exclusives, it seems Xbox is the only one losing its exclusivity. Titles like Half-Life 3 (please God let it release this time) and Uncharted won’t come to Xbox—which I’d love, but I doubt it will happen. With my extensive Xbox collection, I feel uncertain about buying new games because the future feels unpredictable. We’re all fans, often seeing the glass as half full, but I’d love to hear your thoughts—could I be wrong? Maybe someday, all of this will become clearer. The Xbox One X is a fantastic system, even better than the PS5 in my view. I just don’t understand why people didn’t embrace it more. It’s just puzzling to me.