Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Phil Spencer takes charge of Microsoft's Xbox division

New Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella merges the Xbox creative teams under one banner, with company exec Phil Spencer at the helm.



Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s newest CEO, has made tremendous strides in the evolution of Microsoft. Leading with many key changes under his leadership, Nadella continues to evolve the company’s gaming presence by unifying key Xbox divisions–including Xbox LIVE, Xbox Music and Microsoft Game Studios–to be managed by Phil Spencer, an energetic and capable executive.

The news, which broke yesterday in a key address by Spencer himself, marks a potential turning point in Microsoft’s current stance in the next-gen war. So far, Sony has held the mantle as their PlayStation 4 has proven to be quite victorious in terms of sales and reception, but this could all change with Spencer’s appointment.

Spencer had the following to say about the opportunity:
“As Satya noted earlier today, I will now be leading the Xbox, Xbox Live, and creative teams including Xbox Music, Xbox Video and Microsoft Studios as we deliver the next generation of games and entertainment.

“Combining these teams will strengthen the connection between some of the world’s most innovative creators and those building the Xbox itself.”



With Marc Whitten’s departure from Xbox, the most logical replacement candidate would be Spencer, who has proven to be a level-headed and resourceful individual. The exec’s candid responses during the recent SXSW event reveal a figure who doesn’t placate the usual PR-driven praise for the Xbox One, and instead listens and interacts with the gaming community.

In his company-wide memo, Nadella had the following to say about the benefits of merging the Xbox branches together:
“Combining all our software, gaming and content assets across the Xbox team under a single leader and aligning with the OSG team will help ensure we continue to do great work across the Xbox business, and bring more of the magic of Xbox to all form factors, including tablets, PCs and phones.”

Spencer, the new head of Xbox, further describes how the past few months have been *an experience of growth for the company and Xbox One:
“This past year has been a growth experience both for me and for the entire Xbox team. *We’ve taken feedback, made our products better and renewed our focus on what is most important, our customer. *

“Our mission is to build a world-class team, work hard to meet the high expectations of a passionate fan base, create the best games and entertainment and drive technical innovation. As we continue forward, this renewed focus and mission will be a foundational part of how I lead the Xbox program.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how the Xbox brand changes under Spencer’s influence, and if these alterations can prove to be enough to even the playing field against Sony’s PS4. Spencer also goes on to say that we’ll “hear much more as E3 nears”, which leads to a multitude of branching possibilities including a possible VR hardware solution, an array of games, or more Xbox One announcements.

Via Xbox News



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