P3 leaves after more than a decade at the helm of Xbox
With the Xbox Series not in the best shape, while Game Pass can’t completely straighten out the rest, Phil Spencer was expected to be gone in a short time. However, the news remains a shock at Xbox, given that no real echo of this departure has reached us until now. IGN is however able to confirm that Phil Spencer is leaving, after joining Microsoft more than three decades ago.
His departure should be effective on February 23, but will have a consulting role until this summer. In an email shared with the teams, Spencer declared:
“ Last fall, I confided to Satya [Nadella] that I was considering taking a step back and starting a new chapter in my life. From then on, we agreed to approach this transition with determination, ensuring stability and consolidating the foundations we have built. Xbox has always been more than just a company. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we create and how we create it. And it deserves a thoughtful, carefully considered plan for the future. »
A departure which remains in the logic of things, but which has the potential to shake up the face of the industry a little. Phil Spencer took over as head of the Xbox group in 2014, when the latter was at its lowest point following the launch of the Xbox One which had completely damaged the brand’s image.
Over the years, Xbox had regained color and the most notable development during Phil Spencer’s presidency was the takeover of Activision-Blizzard-King in 2022, which once again shook the industry. We will also remember the launch of Xbox Game Pass, which established a new consumption habit. But since the closure of many studios, such as Tango Gameworks or The Initiative, the group’s image has once again been tarnished, until Xbox’s multiplatform move which may have sparked debate.
Sarah Bond is also leaving, but Matt Booty remains Copilot
Despite everything, we could feel that this departure was more or less close to the extent that Sarah Bond was taking up more and more space. It was particularly highlighted during Xbox’s latest speeches as when it came to extolling the merits of the next generation of consoles, suggesting that the passing of the torch was quite imminent. But a new twist of theater, since Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft.
This is what Phil Spencer indicates in his email, without indicating the reasons behind this departure. A surprising choice, even if we understand Bond’s desire not to commit to Xbox any longer as the brand is currently in difficulty. But we can’t help but cast doubt on the fact that she started on her own, to the extent that even today, she posted a message on LinkedIn in which we see her talking about the future of accessibility at Xbox. She is also the only one of the lot not to have sent an email to the teams this evening (at least, no email was revealed when this article was published). We won’t make too many hasty conclusions though.
If Sarah Bond does not take over the reins, the logical continuation would therefore have been to see Matt Booty, president of Xbox Game Studios take the leadership. However, this is not the case. Certainly, Booty is gaining ground, since he is named Chief Content Officer and will work alongside the new CEO. But he is not the real new captain on board.
Meet Asha Sharma, Former VP of Meta and Microsoft CoreAI
This new big boss of Xbox will therefore be Asha Sharma. A name that probably means nothing to you, given that it wasn’t really affiliated with Xbox until now.
Recruited from Meta, she served as president of Microsoft CoreAI products.. A section which, you guessed it, was specialized in the advancement of artificial intelligence tools. At the sight of the insistence of Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft) on the subject of generative AI in recent times, the message could not be clearerand not the most subtle.
Here are his first words addressed to the teams:
“ My first mission is simple: understand what makes us successful and preserve it. This is based on three commitments. First, exceptional games. It all starts here. We must offer exceptional games, acclaimed by players, above all else. Unforgettable characters, moving stories, innovative gameplay and excellent creativity. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic licenses and support innovative ideas. We will take risks. We will explore new categories and markets where we can add real value, building on what matters most to gamers. »
She continues by indicating wanting to improve the image of the Xbox brand, while trying to reassure the public, particularly those who are attached to the Xbox console itself :
“ Second, the return of Xbox. We reaffirm our commitment to our early Xbox fans and players, those who have been with us for 25 years, as well as to the developers who create the worlds and immersive experiences loved by gamers around the world. We will celebrate our origins by reaffirming our commitment to Xbox, starting with the console that shaped who we are. It connects us to the gamers and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who create ambitious experiences for the platform. Video gaming is now ubiquitous, transcending the confines of a single device. With our expansion across PC, mobile and cloud, the Xbox experience must be seamless, instantaneous and relevant to the communities we serve. We’ll break down barriers so developers can create once and reach players everywhere, without compromise. »
Finally, she ends with the transformations she wants to bring, and obviously, the subject of AI is also discussedagain to appease the crowds by indicating that they do not want to flood the market with games created in this way:
“ Third, the future of video games. We are witnessing the reinvention of video games. To meet the challenges of this era, we will create new business models and new ways of playing based on our current strengths: iconic teams, characters and universes that players love. But we will not treat these universes as simple static licenses to exploit and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that allow developers and players to create and share their own stories. As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not prioritize short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless games made by mediocre AI. Games are and will always remain an art, shaped by humans and created using the most innovative technologies that we make available to them. »
However, her appointment to this position is questionable, given that she is relatively new to the video game industry. Add to this the questions about the use of AI (despite this facade), and you have enough to make the future of Xbox vague to say the least.