Xbox-Microsoft’s Dedicated Hardware for Gaming

I think it's a bit of give and take. Microsoft does own both Xbox and Windows, so why not try to combine fans into one melting pot. PlayAnywhere is a great model for players that don't want to buy a game multiple times to play with friends that may only
have a PC or an Xbox. I heard that Microsoft was even looking to expand their titles to Switch via streaming. It's all about uniting.

I think bringing Gamepass to PC was a great move to help include PC gamers into the Xbox family. Though, I wouldnt say it was a move to compete with Steam.

As for exclusives, every gaming industry competitor should have something that draws gamers to their console/services. Exclusives certainly are one of the best ways. I dont think this is something Xbox, Playstation or Nintendo will shy away from.

1.Was it done to compete with Steam

2.Has it made clear that xbox is no longer the ONE stop gaming platform by microsoft.

3.Has the Console exclusives lost their Significance

4.Or all together this is a transition to something else.

1. Likely little. Steam is well established. It might lead to Steam not taking dives into vats of money for lack of other things to do with it, but Steam will carry on as a marketplace. They aren't positioning themselves as a "games"
store, but an "apps" store that has a subscription service for games.

2. Since Mr. Spencer has taken over he has held the stance consistently that Xbox isn't a "console" or a "consumer product" but a "service" for games. Not a single item or a set of SKUs but a broad swipe of systems, services, and products.

3. Maybe? No? I'd love if they did. I wish Microsoft products were available everywhere, and Game Pass on other platforms would be a way to do that, but I wish everyone got to play the games they want on what platform they want.
Microsoft First Party products sold on other platforms would still earn money for those products, just not as much in the 70/30 model Epic says they are trying to help break.

4. As with #2, this is part of a transition of Xbox being synonymous across platforms. Xbox consoles, PCs, Androids, iPads, Macs, Nintendo Switch, Sony consoles, cloud streaming, etc.

I'm excited for the future, and included competition with Stadia and evolution of Cloud gaming (being lucky enough to live in an area with fast no-data-cap available internet). I just see these moves as a company ACTUALLY FOLLOWING
THROUGH when they say they are looking to give people more options to play. As someone who played A LOT of Xbox 360 while deployed to Iraq with the US Army I feel for those that don't have regular internet service here or abroad with this current direction
on any service and hope that they truly do have options for EVERYONE. EVERYONE.

Thanks for the detailed response.Your input gives a broader understanding.

Happy gaming.

I don't think it's a ploy to compete with steam, Valve has had a corner on the PC gaming market for a few years now and while many of the games are available on multiple platforms moving Xbox to PC with the play anywhere features is a good idea in theory.
Console exclusives may be on the downswing but they will continue with "Microsoft" only exclusives one of the major reasons for having console exclusives was, and IS, to push the new tech on the market. But with Microsoft trying to get their unified services
and technology in place the difficulty of coding for multiple platforms may be a thing of the past.