Phil Spencer Recalls Future Of Xbox Brand Was In Question After Xbox One’s Launch

A shake up of leadership also made things uncertain.

Posted By | On 11th, Nov. 2020

xbox logo

This week will mark a new era in Microsoft’s history in the video game business with the launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S. It’s been quite a ride. The company had been making games for years, but entered the console business with the original Xbox, and then stood their own with the Xbox 360 against Sony’s PS3. Then the Xbox One happened. Most people probably know that the launch of the system did not go too hot in 2013, and largely allowed Sony to retake most of the major markets for the current generation that’s coming to an end. Apparently, it was enough to put the whole brand’s future into question.

In a very lengthy interview with Shacknews, Phil Spencer recalls the period after the Xbox One’s launch when Don Mattrick left. He said the Xbox team was splintered into several sections, and Microsoft leadership itself was in flux. When Satya Nadella took over as CEO, apparently a lot of tough questions were asked, with one being whether or not they would even continue with the Xbox brand. It’s not clear if it was meant to drop out of the console business all together or pivot to new branding, but either way, it seemed as if there was at least some question about the future of Xbox.

“So Satya becomes the CEO in February. Then the question is, do we go forward with Xbox? Because we’re getting really outsold by PlayStation in the market at this point. Do we stay invested in it? Or do we make a different decision?

“He and I had a discussion, and I made a pitch. I said, “You know, gaming can be a real important consumer category for the company.” He didn’t quite understand it yet, not from an intelligence standpoint, but he just hadn’t been close to it. But he was willing to make a bet on us as a team. And I said, “The thing I need, if I’m going to step into the role to head this group, is I need to bring it back together. I can’t have my hardware team over there and the platform team over there, and first-party over there. I need to bring it back as a cohesive team.” And he agreed to that. So I ended up working in the Windows division, but we brought all those pieces back together.

“I think the reason I ended up in the job, frankly, was the other leaders were gone. I tease myself that I was the last person left at the table. and there’s some truth in that. I want to make sure I keep my ego in check. It wasn’t a clear, “You take the person who ran first-party and make them head of the platform.” But frankly of the leaders that were there, I was the one that was left.”

Microsoft has long since stopped reporting numbers for their Xbox sales, but it seems as if the Xbox One performed well below expectations by the sound of it. The brand has seemingly been brought back on track, though, thanks in large part to things like Game Pass and expanding out to PC.


Tagged With: ,

Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Trailer Showcases Gorgeous Remade Intro

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Trailer Showcases Gorgeous Remade Intro

Available worldwide on May 23rd for the Nintendo Switch, the remake sports a revamped intro with new graphics ...

Helldivers 2’s Newest Major Order Wants Players to Eliminate All Automatons

Helldivers 2’s Newest Major Order Wants Players to Eliminate All Automatons

Super Earth continues to be unreasonably aggressive in its mission to spread democracy.

A New Marvel Game Will be Announced Tomorrow

A New Marvel Game Will be Announced Tomorrow

As per leaks, the game, titled Marvel Rivals, is a 6v6 hero shooter developed by NetEase, due out in 2025.

V Rising – Legacy of Castlevania Collaboration Announced, Launches May 8th

V Rising – Legacy of Castlevania Collaboration Announced, Launches May 8th

Players can battle Simon Belmont and wield Vampire Killer in the upcoming update, with paid cosmetic DLC also ...

It Takes Two Crosses 16 Million Units Sold

It Takes Two Crosses 16 Million Units Sold

The co-op platformer has been played by over 30 million players since its release in 2021, developer Hazelight...

Sony Reveals Community Game Help, New Feature Coming to PS5 Later This Year

Sony Reveals Community Game Help, New Feature Coming to PS5 Later This Year

With an update later this year, Game Help will be expanded to also incorporate user-generated content.