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We've heard a lot recently about how Asha Sharma is trying to initiate the "return of Xbox", and while this isn't a major revelation or anything, The Verge's Tom Warren says new Xbox email addresses are playing a part in that.
According to Warren, Microsoft is issuing Xbox email addresses to all of its gaming employees, with an internal memo describing this change as being part of "strengthening the Xbox identity inside and outside of Microsoft".
Here's a bit of what he had to say about this:
"The new Xbox email address will replace an existing @microsoft.com address as the default way to send new emails, and employees will be able to opt-out and keep their Microsoft email address as the default send-from address instead."
The report mentions that Xbox email addresses have been accessible in the past, but employees have had to specifically request them. The decision to give them to all gaming employees by default (aside from the Mojang team, who are getting Mojang-specific addresses) is something that's never been done before in the 25-year history of Xbox.
Is it really a big deal? Not on its own, but it's yet another piece in the puzzle that Asha Sharma is putting together over at Xbox HQ. At the very least, it shows commitment towards reviving the Xbox brand and making it feel important again.
This also follows on from the much more significant overhaul of ditching the Microsoft Gaming moniker and entirely and going back to just "Xbox". We never liked referring to Phil Spencer as the Microsoft Gaming CEO — it felt so unnecessary and corporate — and we're relieved we won't have to do the same with Asha Sharma!