After a long and complicated few months for Xbox, its boss Phil Spencer announces that big changes are coming to Microsoft’s gaming branch. For the better?
With the video game industry going through a rough patch after the huge boom caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Xbox needs to change to stay in the race, according to its boss Phil Spencer. At least that’s what he said in an interview at Gamescom 2024.
Xbox Must Adapt to Survive, Says Phil Spencer
Between unfortunate waves of layoffs and studio closures and console exclusives such as Starfield and Hellblade 2 that have not been unanimously acclaimed, Xbox is slowly but surely starting to question its future. The first signs of this have been seen with the porting of first-party games such as Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi RUSH to PS5/Switch. DOOM The Dark Ages will also be released in 2025 on PC, Xbox Series and PS5, on the same date. The latest coup in this regard: the announcement of the release of Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle on PC, a few months after its scheduled arrival on December 9 on PC and Xbox Series.
Despite a rather cold climate for the video game industry, Phil Spencer paints a picture of a future full of hope for Microsoft’s gaming branch, but also fraught with pitfalls. What I see is our franchises are getting stronger, our Xbox players are bigger than ever, and our business is working. But it’s true that within Microsoft, the bar is set very high, and we have a lot to answer to from this huge company, in order to receive the incredible support that we deserve. “.
Huge pressure from video games for the industry that needs to be relieved
” In conclusion, I would say that the video game industry is under a lot of pressure. It has only grown in recent months, and its players are looking for solutions to grow. As fans of this medium, we must anticipate more changes in the traditional way of developing and distributing games. All this will change for everyone, not just at Xbox. Ultimately, we need better games that as many people as possible can play. If that is not our main goal, then something is wrong. “.
Whether this takes the form of other partnerships between Xbox and PlayStation and Nintendo (notably on the Switch 2?), or less ambitious and therefore less risky games, or a mixture of all of these, the future will tell us. In any case, this one definitely seems marked for change, to save what can be saved.
Source : Knoebel on X.com
