Original Story:<\/strong> Upper-brass Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are both out at Xbox with immediate effect, and new CEO Asha Sharma is in.<\/p>\nThis all raises interesting questions about the future of Microsoft\u2019s gaming division under new leadership, as it\u2019s spent the past 18 months or so pivoting to multiplatform publishing.<\/p>\n
As things stands, titles like Forza Horizon 5 have sold extraordinarily well on PS5, and we know games like Halo: Campaign Evolved are planned for Sony\u2019s system as well.<\/p>\n
So, what is the ex-CoreAI executive\u2019s stance?<\/p>\n
Well, in an address to both staff and the public at large, Sharma walks a tightrope, attempting to ingratiate herself to the Xbox faithful without upsetting her corporate overlords.<\/p>\n
She talks about \u201cthe return of Xbox\u201d and a \u201crenewed commitment to [\u2026] console\u201d, but later reiterates that \u201cgaming now lives beyond devices\u201d.<\/p>\n
Part of her statement reads:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world.<\/p>\n
We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it<\/p>\n
Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, it doesn\u2019t sound like Microsoft will be reneging on its multiformat initiative any time soon. But just in case there was any doubt, here\u2019s what CEO Satya Nadella has to say as well:<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we reach over 500 million monthly active users, are a top publisher across all platforms, and continue to innovate across gaming hardware, content, and community, in service of creators and players everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
One factor of this announcement that\u2019s been generating a lot of attention is Sharma\u2019s background, which is in AI.<\/p>\n
She insists, however, that the company \u201cwill not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop\u201d. And yes, she really does<\/em> say \u201cslop\u201d \u2013 there\u2019s no editorialising on our part there.<\/p>\n\u201cGames are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n
Amen to that, we suppose.<\/p>\n
[source blogs.microsoft.com]<\/p>\n
\tSee Also<\/p>\n
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As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He\u2019s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.<\/p>\n