Talking Point: 10 Years Ago, Phil Spencer's First E3 In Charge Marked A Turning Point For Xbox

...And look where we are now.

We wouldn't even be here without Uncle Phil.

Phil Spencer has done good. Can you imagine any other xbox leader convincing Microsoft to invest $70b in new xbox studios just a year after investing $10b? He took them from "xbox has no games" to one of the industry's top publishers.

Big fan of Phil Spencer. I honestly think he gets it. Problem is, I don't think his bosses do. I don't think Phil is in charge any longer, hence all the whiplash changes of direction and his continued invisibility. Real shame because I think Microsoft have pulled the rug from beneath him...

And now, he’s nowhere to be found

Where is Phil, he’s been very quiet recently, on vacation? He hasn’t even popped up saying play XYZ

Isn’t he going on a podcast soon? Uncle Phil’s biggest achievement is making gamers believe he is one of them. He’s not, he’s a corporate stooge. I know others believe it’s those above now calling the shots but I very much believe he’s still a huge part of where Xbox is now and it’s strategy going forward.

What he has to say once he pops up again will be very interesting.

@somnambulance the industry consolidation concerns are really overstated. It takes two parties to make a deal. These are not hostile takeovers. Bethesda sought a buyer. Abk was in a tough spot after getting rocked by multiple scandals and lawsuits. Personally I believe a company being bought is better than it just failing until it dies.

And honestly xbox is probably the best ones to buy these from the overall industry perspective. They have historically had the most willingness to publish games on other platforms like pc and switch and have now expanded to even ps as well.

Mistakes were made along the way, but Phil did a damn good job given the position he was put in. And unlike many other people in here, I still have faith in Xbox and expect very good things from the platform in the years to come. The most dangerous animals are the ones you corner and MS as a whole has resources and the ability to do things most companies would kill for.

On with the show….

Horizon 2 is still the best horizon for me. I was off work for a while and just played loads of it. Want olto go back to it now thinking about it. Need to get through a lot of the backlog first though. 😂 This year's show has the same feeling as back then.

I feel that Xbox as a brand is at a real inflection point here. Worldwide they're getting outsold by over double by the PS5 and the Switch is also still outselling Series X/S even though it's 7 years old and no doubt the Switch 2 is going to sell like crazy as well. Xbox went from "Xbox has no games" to "Xbox buys up a bunch of publishers and studios" to "Why do I need to buy an Xbox when ALL of their games also come to PC day 1 and NOW their games are coming to PS5 and Nintendo?". The talking heads at Micro$oft have said they're planning a next-gen console, but is there still a chance they change their minds and go the Sega route? If not, will the next generation be the last generation for Xbox hardware? So much uncertainty surrounding the brand. Hopefully this Showcase answers at least some of these questions.

I'm expecting Phil to retire or move on, however they phrase it, within the next year or so. His absence lately has spoken volumes. Whether Sarah Bond takes over or Microsoft cleans house, it's coming, I think.

@somnambulance using redfall and starfield aren't great examples since those were deep in development before the acquisition. It would have been interesting to see how bethesda handled the delays of each game if they were on their own. Todd Howard maintains that starfield was releasable before the 1 year delay and people are just now saying the updates have gotten it to a truly great state. Xbox also has a recent track record of letting studios be themselves (almost to a fault).

If bethesda felt the need to be acquired during a high water period for the industry we can only imagine where they would be during the current low period. Probably not closed down, out of the industry but they don't really have the bankable title to retreat to other than the once a decade games of fallout/elder scrolls.

@armondo36 I somewhat had that thought at the beginning of the year, when all the multiplat stuff started happening. I 50/50 wouldn’t be surprised if he announces his retirement at the event and/or that IGN interview (though I’d personally like to see him stick around)

Somehow I don’t think other than some body language guesses and reading between then lines that we will get any clues what is going on behind the scenes this month… this is the happy time period of the showcase… however in July all bets are off and the carnage will ensue… trust in Phil!

phil the con man. i feel lied to, depressed, have all sorts of mental distress cause of phil, xbox, ms. time to lawyer up!

should have jumped ship the day xbox games went pc day n date.

@rustyduck 🤣

folks, i see phil playing games about every day. p3 is on my console friend's list but he mostly plays with a pc, not console. he is not a console fan.

its clear where xbox is going.

@rustyduck

Honestly, why wait? You can sell your console at any time via eBay or GameStop. Why invest a single penny more into a system you’re that unhappy with. You can wash your hands of Xbox today and never look back.

I understand people being unhappy with Xbox. I will never understand why they continue to stick around when they expect nothing but disappointment.

And Phil doesn’t need to be a console fan to run a console company. Just being a fan of games in general puts him in a FAR better position than most.

Start of the gradual decline

@Savage_Joe As present as the Sony and Nintendo execs have always been. People became way too entitled and familiar with Xbox leadership. There is a big show Sunday (two shows and an interview, actually) and I'm sure they are focused on that. Spencer deserves the break.

@RIghteousNixon im not going anywhere bud. in fact i'll be around more now.

@rustyduck

It’s your life and your money. Waste them as you see fit. Doesn’t effect me one way or another. That was a legitimate question as to why people like yourself, that are so utterly miserable with the system and company in general, continue to invest time and money into it. I guess expecting a legitimate answer was my bad.

You do you brother…

@RIghteousNixon Relax there Bruh. Ever been a sports fan? True fans always critique their team, get mad when they lose etc. But they still cheer for them. Ever have a deadbeat relative? You love them, but are likely still constantly disappointed with them, but you don't abandon them. Kinda the same vibe with Xbox really ever since the Xbox One reveal.

@SleeplessKnight

I’m perfectly relaxed. His posts don’t bother me one bit. Have been a gamer since Pong and I have seen plenty of haters, fanboys, and everything in between online. To each their own. It was a legitimate question as to why people keep investing time and money into a system they clearly hate now. Again, I guess expecting a legit answer from him was my bad .

@RIghteousNixon i seem to effect you quite a bit. you ok bruh? please google some 1-800 numbers to call. ok?

@rustyduck

Actually, the only one here that seems triggered is you. All I did was ask a question, one that could have been easily answered. It’s funny tho, asking you a legit question is enough for you to post the typical, you ok, call 1-800-get-help comment, but you running around making one negative post after another and continuing to support a system you clearly hate now is the perfect picture of mental health to you, lol. Funny stuff…

Phil is meh but this comment section is pure 🔥 🤣

@theduckofdeath Phil made himself the people’s person on his own. We weren’t entitled to anything. He could’ve been just like the other executives at Sony or Nintendo, and we wouldn’t be on this conversation. Yet, he decided to speak anytime something came up on xbox. And now that a major event happened, and we need answers, Phil is nowhere to be found, except on his games.

The man who both saved and killed Xbox

“ 2014 was a particularly good year for Xbox. We had Halo: The Master Chief Collection”

Halo MCC was actually a train wreck and PR disaster at launch. To their credit they turned it around in a big way, but at launch it attracted a lot of negative press. To the extent that 343 and MS both made public apologies and were handing out free digital content to early adopters as compensation.

It was later in 2015 that this one began to fix its reputation.

@Savage_Joe Do we really need answers, though? That's what I mean about people feeling entitled. Phil is not going to come running every time Xbox or MS makes a business decision. We have enough bits of information to have general idea of what happened.

Shareholders were addressed by Sarah Bond and players did not find the answers adequate; they have invested in the company and closing Tango and AA didn't make a dent. The stock price went up.

There has already been an announcement that Phil is doing an interview with IGN after the show on Sunday. He may shine a little more light on the studio closures. Despite my continued interest, I don't need to know at this point. Nor do I expect a definitive answer. There is a small amount of trepidation I hold, considering this interview may be an opportunity to announce something we really won't like.

🤣 You guys can be so dramatic...
If I let the politics of every business I subscribe to, or pay to, bother me, I'd now be living off grid in the wilds.
I just play the games I enjoy playing... I have no interest with all the politics that goes on behind the scenes.

@somnambulance No, Bethesda and ABK would not have died without acquisition. Well, ABK, anyway. Bethesda/ZeniMax was struggling financially (not the first time) and Starfield may have been released prematurely. Studio closures, project cancellations, and layoffs would have happened sooner (and perhaps be more widespread).

ABK was public and the stock price was taking a hit. The value of the company was declining by billions of dollars. Microsoft paid a substantial premium on each stock unit. If the acquisition had been blocked or fallen through, the stock price would have plummeted, losing the company billions in value.