It has been a fruitful year for Microsoft it terms of gaming hardware from Project Scorpio to Xbox One S, flashy as well when it comes to flagship titles. However, 2017 might see a bit of slow down when it comes to top exclusive AAA games. The tech giant seems to be taking hiatus on news about potential sequels or new iterations from its main series.

Microsoft is relying fully on three major titles to sustain cash inflow. It is apparent that they could smile wide after 2016 closed because "Forza Horizon 3," "Gears of War 4" and "Halo 5" did well in the previous year. Yes, 2017 have its own array of games from IPs or third-party developers plus sequels but none of the three, ThisGenGaming said.

If there is a chance that among "Forza Horizon 3," "Gears of War 4" or "Halo 5" will unleash a sequel this 2017, it could be a sixth in Halo franchise. Given that most titles have shelf life of a year or two, "Halo 6" is likely because it is the oldest among the trio. If so, gamers could only hope that it is going to be launched with Project Scorpio later this year.

What could be driving the fear behind Microsoft fans is the possibility of not being able to cope up with rival Sony in terms of exclusives. The likes of "Forza Horizon 3," "Gears of War 4" and "Halo 5" are bankable superstars but PlayStation 4 lineup is simply overwhelming so Microsoft needs to retaliate. This year is going to witness PS4 exclusives like "The Last of Us 2," "God of War," "Death Stranding," "Spider-Man" and so on.

Now to cap up, is it possible for Microsoft to heavily rely on multiplatform releases? Meaning, Microsoft hoping to draw gamers with titles that are both PlayStation, PC and Xbox One or even Nintendo.