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Xbox has gone through a tumultuous period these past few years, rarely enjoying a high while being burdened with many lows. But it seems like the new leadership at Microsoft Gaming — the division that runs Xbox — is pivoting to a back-to-basics approach to fix the damage. In a new open letter titled "We are Xbox," chiefs Asha Sharma and Matt Booty have announced that Microsoft Gaming is rebranding to simply Xbox .
The letter goes over the past, present, and future of Xbox, while addressing the things that went wrong. The first subsection is called "We have work to do," and goes over the lack of feature drops on console and how pricing is getting harder to keep up with. Just yesterday, Game Pass prices were slashed for some tiers, showing us what this new strategy to regain trust looks like. Previously, the "This is an Xbox" campaign was killed off to streamline the brand as well.
Now, it's a bit harsh to say that Xbox has lost trust as a whole, but the fans have certainly not been happy with how the company has seemingly given up on the console. The next-gen Project Helix device has been proof of that since it's a PC-console hybrid , bridging the gap between the two platforms and letting people play their PC games on an Xbox console that runs multiple storefronts. This is at a time when Sony is pulling its games from PC and gatekeeping them once again for PlayStation only.
You may like Microsoft's new gaming boss axed 'This is an Xbox' campaign because 'it didn't feel like Xbox' Microsoft confirms next-gen Xbox will play PC games Xbox consoles sales drop 32% while Microsoft makes more money than ever Hence, the common sentiment in the community has been one of inferiority, that Xbox simply cannot compete with the likes of Sony and Nintendo when it comes to hardware and exclusives, so it's switched to this "Play Anywhere" model that sidesteps the rivals entirely. Well, the new letter doesn't exactly walk back those decisions, but it shows a bit more confidence in the brand as it begins to course correct.
"Console is at the foundation," says the memo, outlining four main objectives that the company is focusing on getting right. The first is hardware; it begins with delivering Project Helix and stabilizing the 9th generation of consoles with a healthy player base. Xbox wants to "build a strong ecosystem that expands choice and reach," while leading in performance, comfort, and personalization.
Then there's content; this is what the players will be most excited for since the letter explicitly mentions growing and extending existing franchises. That could mean finally paying attention to IP beyond just Gears, Halo, and Forza. Remember, Xbox owns both Activision Blizzard and Bethesda — two absolute behemoths of the industry — so it's about time some of that investment pays off.
Moreover, Xbox wants to "elevate creator-centric platforms" such as Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls, and Sea of Thieves, calling back to how a new generation of gamers is coming online. The console wars likely never even happened for this audience, and their attention is up for grabs by different forms of entertainment everywhere. Optimizing Xbox for them is one of the primary goals for the company's future.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/xbox/xbox-outlines-broad-plan-to-revitalize-brand-with-a-back-to-basics-approach-that-focuses-on-console-new-xbox-strategy-reprioritizes-console-while-bolstering-cloud-and-services#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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