For more than a year now Microsoft has been promising a re-dedication to the PC fan base, but thus far they have made little effort to deliver on those promises. It was all mostly talk until Microsoft finally pulled back the curtain regarding their PC plans. This week, at the company’s Windows 10 event, Microsoft finally showed how they would support PC gamers in an admittedly small way, but one that could be proof of a larger initiative.

With the launch of Fable Legends, one of Microsoft’s major exclusives for 2015, the publisher will offer cross-platform play between Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles. That means that for the first time PC gamers will be able to interact with Xbox One gamers while playing a cross-platform release.

On its face, the Fable Legends cross-platform play is nothing special, if only because interest for Lionhead Studios’ asymmetrical multiplayer title is rather low. But, if this is just the first step for Microsoft, then that’s pretty exciting. If this Fable Legends cross-platform play was a test case, for example, then maybe Microsoft hasn't forgot about PC gamers after all.

Obviously, Fable Legends would not be the first game to offer cross-platform play in a general sense, but it would be the first current-gen Microsoft exclusive to do so. More importantly, if Fable Legends’ cross-platform play is successful, it could encourage Microsoft to include the feature in future releases.

Matter of fact, this could be the first in a long line of planned cross-platform games for Microsoft. Fable Legends would prove whether the feature is viable on a server level, and could open the door for future titles. So if it works, then Microsoft might consider something like a PC release for Halo 5: Guardians with cross-platform support, or maybe a PC port of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Ultimately, it’s the promise of cross-platform play that is more exciting than Fable Legends’ support for it. Our experience with that game has so far been less than encouraging, even if the asymmetrical concept is somewhat cool. Rather, we want to see what including the feature in Fable Legends will lead to in the future.

Does cross platform play with PC change your interest in Fable Legends? What other Microsoft exclusives would you like to see adopt this feature?

Fable Legends is scheduled for a 2015 release for PC and Xbox One.