If there’s anything we’ve learned about Microsoft’s gaming strategy these past months, it’s that the company is working on going back to its roots with regards to the Xbox brand, at least based on what we’re seeing. The exit of key personnel like Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond a while back has led to major shifts with how the company sees the Xbox division, which hasn’t fared too well in the past few years.
More recently though, it looks like Microsoft is planning on bringing major changes to the platform—in a recent message to Xbox employees (now made public), CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty outlined a new strategy for Microsoft’s gaming sector, which includes ditching the “Microsoft Gaming” name and instead going back to “Xbox”. Part of their statement reads:
Players are frustrated.
New feature drops on console have been less frequent. Our presence on PC isn’t strong enough. Pricing is getting harder for people to keep up with. And core experiences like search, discovery, social, and personalization still feel too fragmented. Developers and publishers are asking for more, too: better tools, better insights, and a platform that helps them grow faster.
At the same time, a new generation of players is coming online with different expectations. Their time is split across games, media, and everything else competing for attention. They expect more content in familiar places, want to shape the worlds they play in, and want to create and socialize together, not just play together.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma (left) and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty (right).
With that in mind, the roadmap focuses on strengthening four key points surrounding Xbox, which includes hardware development, content expansion, improved player experience and services, with an emphasis on growing Xbox’s daily active player base.
This consists of stablizing the current generation console base in addition to continued development of Project Helix, which will serve as a bridge of sorts between console and PC gaming. The focus on hardware also includes a renewed focus on premium, personalized accessories and an open ecosystem intended to broaden consumer choice across multiple devices.
On the software front, Microsoft says that it aims to grow its franchise portfolio while expanding into mobile-first markets. This also includes long-term growth and maintenance of live-service titles, and the elevation of creator-centric platforms, including Minecraft and The Elder Scrolls, for example. Microsoft says that it also plans on overhauling the Xbox user experience by prioritizing social discovery and personalization for the community.
Changes are also underway to make Xbox the “premier destination” for third-party developers by streamlining backend fundamentals; interestingly, Microsoft hasn’t entirely ditched its approach to content access on third-party platforms, as it intends on improving the Xbox cloud gaming experience on televisions and low-cost devices, as well as strengthening Xbox Game Pass.
Of course as it stands, this sounds like a lot of incredibly big promises which if we’re being honest, might be viewed by hardcore Xbox fans with a raised eyebrow. With that said though, it does signal a possible comeback of sorts for the platform, and the “re-rebranding” move is a smart pivot towards winning back trust with players, at least for starters.