In the midst of a leadership shakeup on Xboxthere were reports that the brand's controversial “This is Xbox” campaign was also internally disputed. Microsoft's gaming division has had a bumpy few years, with the brand seeing great success as a game publisher but struggling to find its footing in the hardware space. Now it seems that Xbox employees have also questioned some of the company's bolder moves.
Xbox recently sent shockwaves through the gaming industry when it announced that Phil Spencer is stepping down as CEO of Microsoft Gaming and that Xbox President Sarah Bond is stepping down as well. It was a surprise not only because Spencer had been the face of the brand for so long, but also because many assumed Bond would be next in line to replace him. The situation likely involves a lot more internal factors than the public is privy to, but as more emerges about the change in leadership, it appears that there may have been more conflict at Xbox than meets the eye.
Outgoing Xbox president Sarah Bond issues statement following news of departure
Outgoing Xbox president Sarah Bond will issue a formal statement after confirming she will be leaving Microsoft.
Insider claims that many Microsoft employees found the “This is Xbox” campaign offensive
Industry insider Tom Warren has released an in-depth look at the shift in Xbox leadership, revealing that sources told him the “This is Xbox” campaign “offended many Xbox employees internally.” The strategy was emblematic of the Sarah Bond era's focus on moving beyond exclusivity and hardware to deliver a cohesive experience across all platforms. While the goal of cashing in on a larger install base may make sense, many found the campaign confusing and questioned whether moving away from consoles was a good decision. Notably, former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra marveled at “This is Xbox” and said that “only a moron” would continue to make the hardware while making all games available everywhere.
Despite this public move away from consoles, or at least console exclusivity, Bond insisted that the hardware is still at the heart of the Xbox brand and the fan experience. The company did come up with new systems under Bond in the form of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, but they weren't enough to increase console sales as a whole. While they like games from studios owned by Microsoft Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 sold well when they hit competing consoles, Xbox hardware sales struggled. According to Warren, the company's hardware revenue has declined for three consecutive fiscal years and looks set to continue to decline through 2026.
The “This is Xbox” strategy probably isn't the only thing to blame for this drop, as gaming hardware as a whole has faced an uphill battle recently, but it doesn't seem to have helped. Warren also reports that this apparently offensive marketing campaign was not the only internal source of conflict, with several sources telling him that Bond was difficult to work with. According to his unnamed inside sources, “if you didn't follow the vision or challenge it, you were out,” which would have hit the controversial “everything is Xbox” spirit even further. Those sources also praise Bond for her deal-making skills, which include overseeing much of the legal drama surrounding Activision's Xbox acquisition, which took over almost immediately after the process began.
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No matter how contentious things may have been on the Xbox beneath the surface, all eyes are now turning to the future. With Bond and Spencer out, there are a lot of questions about where the company goes from here. There are rumors that the next Xbox console may be delayed due to a lack of RAM, so there is a chance that the rollout could go in a different direction than where it was headed under the previous leadership, but we can't say for sure. Whether the brand will move away from “This is Xbox” is also a mystery that only time will tell.
- Mark
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Microsoft
- Original release date
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November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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499 dollars
- Operating system
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Proprietary (Windows based)
- Processor
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Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2 3.8 GHz
- Resolution
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720p – 4K UHD
Source: The Verge
