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I’ve been with Xbox since the original console, I got Xbox Live in 2007 Halo 3and I never looked back. That’s not to say I’ve ignored other platforms. I enjoyed PlayStation and Nintendo, but never felt compelled to build my profile there like I did with Xbox.
This mindset began to change two years ago. I started playing less games, and some of Xbox’s decisions made me feel like my almost two decades of loyalty mattered less than attracting a new audience.
I’m cautiously optimistic for Xbox
If that last part doesn’t make sense, then yes, Xbox has a new CEO, Asha Sharmaand yes, Phil Spencer is retiring. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it Jez’s exclusive interview with the new CEO. This is important, but I will briefly touch on a few key points.
Sharma reaffirms Xbox’s commitment to hardware, pushing back against bad or unnecessary stuff AIand interestingly, he didn’t rule out exclusives being part of his future. Of course, more cautious or pessimistic readers may see this as standard corporate certainty. That’s fair.
But as someone who tends to see the glass as half full, I can’t ignore that Sharma is very right. We’ll have to wait and see if this all pans out, but it feels like an oddly exciting and slightly unsettling time to be part of Xbox.
Along with the recently promoted Matt Booty, Sharma has an important role to play in restoring confidence. However, Sharma previously scaled Facebook Messenger to billions of users. If someone can get so many people to care about Facebook Messenger above all else, it shows that they understand how to grow and sustain engagement at scale.
That alone doesn’t guarantee success on Xbox. But that means he deserves a fair chance in my opinion.
There is a fine line between expansion and erosion
To go back and see how my view of the Xbox has changed over the last few years, a lot of it comes down to presentation. I didn’t like it It’s an “it’s an Xbox” ad. Not because it’s poorly made, but because it makes me feel undervalued as a console gamer.
If he focused on someone playing on Xbox and then continuing the same game on their phone or computer without issue, the message would feel different. Instead, whether it was intentional or not, it came across as “You don’t need an Xbox.”
This perception is what many fans are interested in. And I can’t help but think that this messaging is part of why Xbox feels like it’s going through an identity crisis. It sounds like I hate the current state of Xbox, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Yes, I have my complaints, and yes, it’s far from perfect. But I still want the platform to succeed and prosper. I don’t plan on ditching Xbox anytime soon
Another price hike may fix this, but overall the future plans are really exciting. The idea of taking my Xbox library to an Xbox PC with Steam integration or even an Xbox handheld that can access the games I’ve built over 18 years is appealing.
Based on Sharma’s comments in his interview with Jez, he understands the importance of Xbox having a home base that people can physically return to. That sense of home is something I felt was lost towards the end of Phil’s tenure, whether he realized it or not.
I’ve also made a round-up How do you, the readers, feel about Xbox?so if you missed it the first time, read on.
🗨️ Do you feel the same way about Xbox?
Are you confident in the new direction of Xbox under Asha Sharma, or are you still waiting to see how it all pans out? Let me know in the comments section or above Reddit!
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