500°

It's Time To Stop Giving Xbox Boss Phil Spencer A Pass

Under his leadership, many have lost their jobs and fewer games have made it out the door.

purple10146d ago

people should call for his resignation, he has literally flushed xbox down the toilet.
another 3 studios closed today, thats it now, get out

RNTody46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Well purple101 you'd have to convince Observer and the other Xbox faithful that these studio closures and the fallout from the acquisitions is a bad thing and a sign of what's to come, and I don't think you're going to do that.

Nobody has managed that feat.

Redgrave46d ago

Obscure and Zeref have been summoned to the floor to give their account of these proceedings.

VenomUK46d ago

I 100% blame 'nice guy Phil' for the death of Xbox. The thing to realise is the Xbox Series S & X are performing WORST in console sales and game sales than the much criticised Xbox One - how can this be?

His two big mistakes were 1-not developing enough exclusives and 2 - always trying to beat PlayStation. If he made more exclusives over his decade reign and not tried to 'win' then classic Xbox would still be here in a profitable third place. Instead he tried a series of different projects to win and he ended up ultimately destroying Xbox by changing its relationship with its most loyal customers. What did he do?

* Phil spent a decade only release new iterations of Halo, Forza and Gears and not investing in creating new first party studios and IP. He mishandled Scalebound and shutdown Lionhead Studios.

* Phil tried Mixer, a streaming channel that could be used to promote Xbox dominance with free giveaways...

* Phil tried to create a streaming service that he regarded as too superior to consider PlayStation and Nintendo as competitors! But would instead compete with Netflix and Google...

* But his worst mistake was Xbox Game Pass - a multi billion dollar investment that could only work if completely dominated the worldwide gaming market - but it didn't. Instead it changed the culture of Xbox gamers so they resented spending on third party games as they were now trained to expect everything for free. Now all the games Microsoft had invested so much in were not only NOT making money from other platforms, as ever, but they were now NOT EVEN making money from Xbox customers.

If Phil Spencer had just concentrated on making new games and not non-stop gimmicks to beat PlayStation, I genuinely believe the Xbox would be an attractive platform with regular exclusives like Halo but with others too that would give it its distinct identity and maintain a profitable existence. Phil's been in charge for over a decade, the blame lays at his feet.

ChiefofLoliPolice46d ago

Oh you and I both know that's never gonna happen. Some people you can't convince them there is a fire even if their own hair is burning. Denial is a powerful thing.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 46d ago
amazinglover46d ago

Last MS financial results for FY24 Q2 which is the company's sales data through Dec. 31, 2023. According to the earnings, gaming revenue is up 49% year-over-year.

That doesn't sound like he flushing it down the toilet and that also makes very unlikely he loses his job any time soon.

crazyCoconuts46d ago

Revenue up due to acquisition... Spending 10s of billions for new companies of course revenue is up. They don't tell us profits but they wouldn't be shutting down these divisions if they were in the black. Pretty sure they're shifting so radically because their current state has been an abject failure

Scissorman46d ago

This is 100% due to Activision Blizzard. If that deal had not gone through, Xbox revenue would be flat, which means a game like Starfield failed to move the needle.

rlow146d ago

@crazyCoconuts
While I agree that Phil and team have gone back on their word. Especially the last six years of promises.

But I disagree on your logic about the revenue.
They bought the companies to boost their gaming division revenue. In that regard they were very successful. They are owned by MS so your point is moot.

Lightning7746d ago

They made all that money and still doing studio shutdowns...

It's bottomless pit of money MS wants. There's no amount of money MS can make to save their own studios. They're doing it out greed and general incompetence. Calling Phil's head won't mean anything or do anything for MS. They'll still destroy regardless.

Chevalier46d ago

Damn idiots don't know how to read revenue reports. Revenue was due to folding in Activision Blizzard Revenue. They were up 61% due to Activision Blizzard with 62% increase. So they only went up 1% over last year. But idiots going to be idiots thinking Spencer is helping Xbox right now. Lol

Markusb3346d ago

this is due to Activision and not their general output of quality titles,

amazinglover40d ago

@Chevalier of course thats due to Activision Blizzard GUESS WHO OWNS THEM? It doesn't matter what that was due to its still growth for that division.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 40d ago
Jingsing46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

It is funny that it was him finally touching Bethesda that was the straw that finally broke the camels back. They should have been calling for this years ago.

Markusb3346d ago

im sure this is good for gamers, didnt Phil say that about scalebound ?

JackBNimble46d ago

You obviously don't know what literally means but ya , all console bosses need to accept accountability for their actions.

Christopher45d ago

So, Phil gets canned. Do people really think that the person to replace him won't kowtow to those above him? Like his replacement won't look at spreadsheets to find things to remove and ignore the human element and accomplishments behind those numbers?

No matter whether Phil is there or not, the problem isn't just Phil. It's the corporate culture and how they prioritize numbers over anything else. Stop acting like getting rid of Phil will get rid of the issue. It won't.

lodossrage42d ago

See, what you said right there is the same EXACT point I made the day he replaced Don Mattrick.

I'm not saying Mattrick was great or anything. But he was part of the corporate structure, just like Phil Spencer. He was the fall guy even though Spencer was part of the bad decisions as well.

It's how MS is run and their structure that's the real issue. It didn't help that other CEO's across the industry said things like "they finally have the right people in place" when Phil took over (like John Riccitiello).

But don't worry, we all know that some people believe what they want, so when Phil leaves,, gets fired, or steps down, everyone will act like things are going to change (as usual).

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 40d ago
Tacoboto46d ago

Phil needs to go. His time is over. When you oversee layoff after layoff after studio closure after studio closure, it's impossible to keep going forward and have people - employees and fans alike - trust you in any way.

Especially after HiFi Rush hit their metrics. I guess we know what to expect for Ninja Theory next once Hellblade is out, and Machine Games once Indiana's out & Todd Howard focuses back on ES6.

Lightning7746d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Ninja Theory won't last after HB2. Because it won't hit some impossible metric in order to be a success at MS.

Expect NT to be gone in a years time also. Where the hells the advertising for Hellblade 2? Another MS issue they do to themselves bunch of clowns.

Tacoboto46d ago

Their first-announced Series game going out like this. Their marketing so far has just been a daily tweet or two the last week.

And now this will overshadow everything up till and through its release. Maybe Ninja Theory will get the same dignity as Tango and bow out with a better PS5 port.

Chevalier46d ago

Hellblade 2 out in 2 weeks and no one will even remember it by the beginning of June

RaidenBlack46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Unrelated but since there's a shortage of devs to make Fallout content ... MS could've asked Tango or Austin or both to make a new Fallout game (doesn't have to be a full-blown RPG) ... fans would've gobbled it up after watching Prime's FO season 2 ... and it would've been a nice experiment to check the feasibility of having Fallout venture into non-RPG genres (like it was done before during Interplay days).
This is what I would've guessed/suggested from past statements from Xbox & co., that you can experiment with new ideas (using new or existing IPs) at current Xbox ecosystem.
But ... after axing Tango & Austin ... don't know if Xbox is still open to such experimentations.

Chevalier46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Just watch Outer World's 2 also be dead on arrival without Playstation and Nintendo gamers buying that game you can expect Gamepass to kill that IP too. Ditto for making that contract to exclude Playstation gamers from getting Indiana Jones too. Remember how Tomb Raider sales were on Playstation after the 1 year exclusivity? Expect even worse for Indiana Jones too

mastershredder46d ago

It's not just Phil (Phil is just the dumb kid taking the money) and Kotaku is NOT the voice to listen to as shi7 sites like Kotaku helped contribute to modern gaming toxicity and disinformation. Kotaku staff = Much like Phil, and yes need to go.

Moegooner46d ago

MS has been posting record profits, you think they give a crap about games and gamers? Think again.

DOMination-46d ago

What a prat.

People gave him and Matt Booty the benefit of the doubt for a few years due to the mess they inherited but a decade on and all they've done is ruin gaming for everyone.

The only success they've had is MS Flight Simulator which was developed by a third party anyway - and Forza Horizon which by pure coincidence went downhill in quality the second Playground were acquired (imo) and that's all I can think of. Everything else they've touched has been ruined.

It's genuinely staggering how either of these two guys are still there.

Hofstaderman46d ago

Phil didnt even inherit a mess, he was equally responsible for it because he sat on the executive so the kinect and XBONE roadmap vision was also on him. Mattrick was the convenient public scapegoat back then but now theres no one to place the blame on.

Tacoboto46d ago

If they're to keep anyone, I'd hope it would be Sarah Bond. She's at least consistent, constantly doing quick tweets with green emojis where she can, repping the brand, saying the next hardware will be the biggest leap ever (whatever that means).

Phil Spencer openly minimizes Xbox by going out of his way to congratulate competitors and talking about how great playing non-Xbox devices are; if only Xbox had someone that could even pretend to like Xbox for being Xbox.

LoveSpuds46d ago

This is the point I always found frustrating, the whitewashing of Spencers reputation when he got promoted. He was involved in the slide into mediocrity of the 360 generation!

Aloymetal46d ago

The worse is yet to come and their fanbase don't know it yet, someone at MS posted and deleted a tweet saying all their main ''exclusives'' Halo, Forza, Gears etc will be heading to PS soon so grab a front seat ticket and some popcorn and enjoy the show;) The crying will be hilarious.

Notellin46d ago

Yeah he is absolutely responsible for the abysmal state of Xbox. I can't tell Mattrick and Spencer apart at this point. Both have been horrible executives for the Xbox brand.

Lightning7746d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Phil's responsible for this generations mess. Phil was the one following orders under Steve Balmer and Don Mattrick.

Don even admitted he messed up on camera with the Xbox documentary

Let's keep the facts straight. Everything currently now is Phil's fault.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 46d ago
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20°

Dragon Ball's Toyotarou Inks the Lead Character From a Beloved Super Nintendo Classic

Dragon Ball Super's official artist Toyotarou offers his illustrative take on a classic Super Nintendo character by the late Akira Toriyama.

270°

Xbox Has a Great Lineup for Fall and Spring, Is Beginning to Hit Its Stride, Says Matt Booty

Xbox Game Content and Studios president Matt Booty said Microsoft has a great lineup for Fall and Spring, having finally hit its stride.

Read Full Story >>
wccftech.com
gold_drake1d 5h ago

please, we've heard that so many times.

cod might be a success but literally anything else that is exclusive is a big question mark, as always.

ApocalypseShadow12h ago

I know right. We've heard it all before. With Microsoft, it isn't that there isn't good content coming. It's that it's coming too late for most gamers to care.

For years gamers were asking Microsoft to increase their output of games instead of selling hype and dangling carrots. While Sony and Nintendo did what gamers expected from them, which is to make great games, Microsoft was making promises and not following through even though they have the most money.

It's like Sega. I loved Old Sega. But Sega concentrated on pumping out hardware instead of just making games and getting the development community onboard what they were selling. Then, when they were firing on all cylinders with Dreamcast and Getting Soul Calibur, DOA, Sonic, Ready 2 Rumble, Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star Online, Jet Set Radio, etc, it was too late. Gamers and developers were burned already from 32X, Sega CD, Saturn, etc.

Microsoft has released multiple hardware configurations, multiple, MULTIPLE controllers, Kinect, Xbox One, S, X, etc when gamers were asking for games at the output of Sony and Nintendo. Actually, more so because now they are worth 3 TRILLION dollars. Leaving them with no excuses.

But it's at a time where Xbox sells at an all time low, games are releasing day one cross platform and on the competition's devices, game pass killing sales to the point that all this new effort will mean nothing at all because who's going to buy these games to return the investment? Not only that, but no one trusts Microsoft's Xbox executives. They lie and mislead, misdirect to the point that most gamers, almost most countries, don't care what Microsoft is cooking. We see the sales.

They can say they are finally hitting their stride after buying up a big part of the industry. But, they are still in third place and still getting their ass kicked by the competition who's taking their sweet time pulling out the big guns. What happens when the big guns show up from Nintendo and Sony? It'll be another public as beating for all to see. Their stride is still running from a belt.

InUrFoxHole7h ago

Let me ask you a question. Is Sony giving gamers what they want right now?

Elda7h ago

@InUrFoxHole. Sony started this year with some interesting fun 3rd party exclusives. XB hasn't released anything exclusive so far but Hellblade 2 & that game was a borefest. Next year both platforms will have some interesting games to play.

Reaper22_4h ago

Just because they aren't in 1st place doesn't mean they aren't making money. You clearly don't understand how business works. BMW doesn't sell more than Ford but they are making a lot of money. The gaming industry is huge. Believe it or not there is plenty money to be made.

purple1014h ago

My heart gets heavy when people mention jet set radio, soul calibur

Also on an extreme sports vibe, Dreamcast also had the best version of tony hawks pro skater

There was a bmx game I saw here the other day, instant buy it’s cell shaded. And looked fun, hope the soundtracks good

Zeref4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

That's a whole bunch of nothing when Xbox got more games coming out in the near and long term than both Playstation and Nintendo. But I guess we're just gonna ignore facts and pretend Sony is the end all and be all of the Industry and whatever they do is fine and doesn't deserve questioning at all. Even though we just heard their plan was for most of their games to be live service and only got cut in half because of other failures of live service games. Also forget about the terrible showcase which showed absolutely nothing promising. Concorde turning out to be a live service overwatch/marvel clone. Meanwhile we just got an actual Marvel Overwatch clone. Their main headline title is fucking Astro Bot lol, which will probably be a good game but I doubt it will move any needles.

I guess we're in the bargaining phase with you Playstation fanboys. In the real world, your opinions don't matter. Businesses don't work the way you think they do. Just because they're selling less consoles than Sony doesn't mean they're not making billions. Xbox has more monthly active users than Playstation does btw. The only metric that matters in the real world.

https://www.vgchartz.com/ar...

and thats without ABK.

https://www.gamespot.com/ar...

purple1013h ago(Edited 3h ago)

@Zeref, in the first example article you sourced it says

'Our first-party games now have over 150 million monthly active users'

im going to go out on a limb here, my guess is that includes people playing on PC, of which, there are millions of flight sim fans, along with all Bethesda games such as elder scrolls, who m$ just brought to add to their monthly active user scam

how about we compare 34 million gamepass (any tier) subs
to 50 million ps+ (any tier) subs

this shows playsytion has more payers who engage in online multiplayer, as well as more consoles sold to people who play offline, both cases playstation is more popular, so im afraid your moving the goalposts, I can see through like a glass window.

Cacabunga1h ago

B.....bb...but was the lineup crap since "Is Beginning to Hit Its Stride"? I thought you always believed your lineup is unmatched.. herd of liars at this company i have no idea how these people can sleep at night with so much lying

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1h ago
just_looken5h ago

Cod is also only a success because every other AAA fps has failed or was dragged out back like old yeller

crazyCoconuts3h ago

For starters, it's not clear if we're talking about Xbox as the console or Xbox as a game publisher "hitting their stride".
Mixed messages as to how exclusive any of the future titles will be to Xbox.
Secondly, just on the game front, MS has had a consistent history of producing stinkers under their watch. Granted they've bought all these studios but statistically speaking unless they've changed dramatically, the quality will probably decrease over time as it has with their other studies. More studios to manage should make their job even harder.
But I do hope they change and surprise me. I really want Indiana Jones and Perfect Dark to be great games...

NotoriousWhiz2h ago

I don't think Microsoft cares anymore about Xbox as a console. Realistically, we could be in a 2 console market next gen, with PC also becoming more popular possibly eclipsing consoles altogether.

crazyCoconuts2h ago

@notorious that's where the mixed messages are coming in. Sometimes it sounds like everything is third party (every screen is an Xbox, clues that the next Xbox will be a PC), and sometimes they act like it's business as usual (Matt saying there will still be exclusives and these Xbox shows still not marketing to PS players).
I'd say they're in some middle ground where they want to have the cake and eat it too. I'd bet that the current momentum will drive then to give up on the hardware but who knows...

Michiel198936m ago

I'm pretty sure that ABK keeps their own leadership, just like bethesda.

1Victor2h ago

In other news Ronald McDonald say Macdonald’s burgers are the best on planet earth

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 36m ago
purple1011d 2h ago

"Is Beginning to Hit Its Stride". I'm sure I've heard that somewhere before

https://www.ign.com/article...

Lightning771d ago

That was back in 2015 when they had some third party exclusives games. Back when it was bad to have third party exclusives. Third party will always dry up unless that's they did (360 days)

Difference is they have their own exclusives now.

purple10121h ago

how about this gem

"Starfield doesn’t deserve this added pressure but it will be the first full-price game that has a chance to change minds about what Xbox is capable of. Initially, in 2021, it felt like Xbox had hit its stride"

1Victor1m ago

@lighting: “That was back in 2015 when they had some third party exclusives games. Back when it was bad to have third party exclusives. Third party will always dry up unless that's they did (360 days)

Difference is they have their own exclusives now.”
Nice oily dodge you did there slick 🤦🏿
.
Personality I don’t expect anything from MS they have prove way too many times their words are worthless to the point that the shop will give you 3 free just by looking at the sky near the shop 🤷🏿

18h agoReplies(2)
Terry_B8h ago

lol. Just like in the last 10 years...rite? ;)

8h agoReplies(2)
Show all comments (38)
100°

Matt Booty talks shipping Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5, Xbox exclusives, and more.

Xbox's Matt Booty discusses reactions to the Xbox showcase, shipping Sea of Thieves on PlayStation, closing studios like Tango Gameworks, and more.

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
purple1012d ago

Matt Booty:

How It Started:

"Go spend Sony out of business."

How It Is Going:

"We just have great working relationships with the teams at Sony." (Sony is a great partner)

Jingsing2d ago

Microsoft thought players views and habits didn't matter but there are more people engaged with the gaming industry politics than there ever has been. Microsoft is like a toxic party and people know it and won't support the no matter how much money they throw at it. That is important.

RauLeCreuset2d ago

Watch for the sleight of hand.

Hint: Exclusives and launch exclusives are not the same thing.

"When asked about what this means for future Xbox exclusives, Booty reiterates that the teams are evaluating games hitting other consoles on a 'case-by-case basis,' adding that Xbox players can absolutely continue to expect many games to launch as exclusives, and that the 'Xbox promise' that all Xbox first-party games come to Xbox Game Pass will continue to be true."

gold_drake1d 13h ago

back paddeling At.Its.Finest.

RupeeHoarder25m ago

Majority are coming to PS5, the remainder for the most part don’t have release dates. If by stride you mean fanboy news stride, yes but that is nothing new.