Talking to Windows Central , a Microsoft spokesperson said, "Asha retired 'This is an Xbox' because it didn't feel like Xbox," confirming it was a personal decision from the new Xbox chief. The campaign has been met with widespread backlash from the start, including from the company's own employees. People criticized its implication that Xbox was just giving up on the console and switching to a software- or service-first model.
Of course, that won't come as a surprise, considering how Microsoft has seemingly abandoned the idea of competing on the hardware level with Sony , choosing instead to embrace the PC platform. The next Xbox, Project Helix , is already confirmed to be a PC-console hybrid capable of running multiple storefronts, such as Steam and Epic, and platform-agnostic products like Game Pass have become a focus for the brand.
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Once-great Xbox exclusives like Halo , Forza , Gears of War , and even the upcoming Fable are all coming to PlayStation, at a time when Sony is pivoting away from PC to bolster its console. The cost of focusing on hardware first is often borne by consumers , so it's a pick-your-poison situation in the current economic climate. Nintendo might be the only console maker left that's not apprehensive.
Speaking of the future, Sharma was appointed head of Microsoft Gaming earlier this year after long-time veterans Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond left the outfit. Sharma comes from an AI background, which raised even more concerns given Microsoft's insistence on pushing AI everywhere. But she's reportedly leading a massive reset for the Xbox brand internally that, so far, signals a return to consoles and hardware.
That's important because sales for Xbox, especially this generation, have been nothing special; fewer Xbox Series consoles have shipped than the Xbox One at the same point in their life cycles. It's too late to turn that around, especially with all the external factors , so Sharma's focus is on Project Helix, which is still a PC-console hybrid — but likely one that's proud of its hardware rather than merely an access point to the Xbox platform as a whole.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/microsofts-new-gaming-boss-axed-this-is-an-xbox-campaign-because-it-didnt-feel-like-xbox-xbox-brand-undergoes-transformation-to-redefine-its-identity#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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