S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Failure
-
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How would you grade Phil Spencer’s tenure as head of Xbox?
nowhat
Member
In actual comparisons, sure, because the data doesn't lie. But in any "opinion" pieces, the narrative was very much pro-One. It has been the same this gen too, when Series X was supposed to wipe the floor with PS5, and yet, in actual comparisons/discussion pieces he's like "well... this is surprising".
Pancakes and Sausage
Member
Horrendous studio management
Where the fuck are the games? It’s been 10 years and first party output isn’t where it needs to be. Both in quality and quantity.
Where the fuck are the games? It’s been 10 years and first party output isn’t where it needs to be. Both in quality and quantity.
Fredrik
Member
Yeah, last gen he deserved the praise.
I ended up swapping from PS4 to main Xbox One X, it was a fantastic comeback.
This gen has been awful. Bad launch and extremely few big exclusives, no midgen update and a rumoured 2026 next gen start means the brand will die as a traditional console. Maybe they do something with a portable but that’s a different market.
I’ve now swapped out Series X to a PC in the living room.
Spitfire098
Member
King bringing more games to PS. Honestly, the best xbox ceo ever.
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Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
The Xbox brand isn't in a great spot, and the buck stops with Phil, so he needs to take some responsibility even though not all of it is necessarily his fault. He has access to all the money in the world and not much to show for it after ten years.
Jigsaah
Gold Member
It should be surprising, because on paper...technically the Series X is supposed to perform better. With all the teraflops and flips and somersaults. Obviously there's some ingenuity within the PS5 that's making a bit of difference even though, on paper, the Series X should be delivering a better experience. Who cares about opinion pieces when the comparisons are what gains the most traction. I feel the sentiment towards DF shifted when the One X came out. Before it came out...folks are asking "Who is this for?" as if they are completely oblivious to the fact that Xbox One was cratering the Xbox brand.
FF:Enhanced_Reality
Member
Honestly, he's done some reasonable things. For me, this is what he has done right.
Watching people cream over Microsoft spending money, quite honestly is frustrating. It's like watching Manchester City - or any other money dominated sport. They're losing money on GamePass, which you cannot argue against in terms of value. But the money it's costing to run GamePass is incredible and even Indie gamers are now starting to say, all those awesome deals Microsoft used to offer on there? They're drying up and fast. GamePass has not grown the XBOX install base significantly enough to prove it's worth.
The XBOX first party line-up, even after acquiring Bethesda and ABK, still is nowhere near the point that I would even consider buying an XBOX - and more embarrassingly, they're bringing their titles to competing platforms, because I think the higher, higher ups have realised that someone has shit the money bed now and it's a problem. When Microsoft first announced they were buying studios and announced the first five acquisitions, I was originally very supportive. If Microsoft could really fuel these studios, use their expertise in software development to help them create amazing technology to power amazing games with an open cheque-book, then I thought Sony and Nintendo will really have to step up their game. Unfortunately, it didn't stop at a few studios... and I am completely against console manufacturers acquiring publishers. But - Microsoft have now opened those flood gates. They've contributed to the market consolidation that I really do despise and if say for example, Sony acquire SquareEnix and say you'll never see another Final Fantasy or SE title on XBOX again, they'll only have themselves to blame. And to be 100% clear, I did not approve of Sony acquiring Bungie, although, that's evidently one of the worst pieces of business Sony have ever done.
Realistically, for the money he has spent, XBOX should be top of the league table (using the football reference once more)... and they might be playing Europa league, but they're not top. They have spent about half the value of Sony as a company on XBOX and they're still third. They're so hard boiled American on their idea's that the console just doesn't appeal to me and sometimes looking through the store when I visit my friends house it's like looking at carbon copies of games I've never heard of before. Phil hasn't really done anything ground breaking, that isn't spending some sum of money. I like his gamer first attitude and he does appear to be a shrewd snake in the grass. Perhaps he's got a plan that isn't quite obvious as of yet... but it'll come due, in time. Sadly, if he was replaced tomorrow, all I'd remember him for is the acquisitions and that's not really innovation, is it? It's not bringing anything new to the table in any way at all.
XBOX is still neglected by Japanese companies because the mantra and direction of the business doesn't suit them as much. Developers, publishers and indie's are more openly saying now that they make far more money from releasing games on Nintendo Swtich or a PS5/PC release etc because GamePass has devalued games. I think they've almost alienated themselves in a way and I'll be damned if Starfield has broken even, however the fuck Microsoft would measure that. That's why I'm sure we'll see a Starfield release on PS5 in the future. Maybe not soon, but inevitably, it's money they're leaving on the table and it's not great for them.
At this point, I'm really thinking XBOX have missed the biggest opportunity they have had, which is to be the worlds biggest third party manufacturer. They don't have to completely abandon hardware. I think Steam Machines were a great concept that unfortunately was done by the wrong company. I think Microsoft should have licenced out the XBOX branding, let companies like HP, Samsung, Asus, Lenovo etc. Make XBOX devices, providing they stick to the regulations Microsoft require them to meet - and go multi-platform. I think that would be huge and the best thing for gamers and gaming at large.
OR
You actually build a first party line up that make incredible games. Foster them, support them, help them to thrive - and go again. Push your console, innovate with your console, drive people to your platform with incredible games and see how they go from there.
- Helped XBOX recover from the horrendous launch of the XBOX One
- Invested in game studios to help create a first party team for XBOX
- Majorly controlled the mind share of the audience with constant communication
- Provided a better understanding to Microsoft about the games industry
- Moved away from Kinect and the focus on media/TV with the XBOX brand
- Launched two consoles that for better or worse are actually reasonably well thought out products (Even if their policies aren't, i.e. it has to run on X AND S)
- Maintained a reasonable commitment to backwards compatibility, going back to the original XBOX
Watching people cream over Microsoft spending money, quite honestly is frustrating. It's like watching Manchester City - or any other money dominated sport. They're losing money on GamePass, which you cannot argue against in terms of value. But the money it's costing to run GamePass is incredible and even Indie gamers are now starting to say, all those awesome deals Microsoft used to offer on there? They're drying up and fast. GamePass has not grown the XBOX install base significantly enough to prove it's worth.
The XBOX first party line-up, even after acquiring Bethesda and ABK, still is nowhere near the point that I would even consider buying an XBOX - and more embarrassingly, they're bringing their titles to competing platforms, because I think the higher, higher ups have realised that someone has shit the money bed now and it's a problem. When Microsoft first announced they were buying studios and announced the first five acquisitions, I was originally very supportive. If Microsoft could really fuel these studios, use their expertise in software development to help them create amazing technology to power amazing games with an open cheque-book, then I thought Sony and Nintendo will really have to step up their game. Unfortunately, it didn't stop at a few studios... and I am completely against console manufacturers acquiring publishers. But - Microsoft have now opened those flood gates. They've contributed to the market consolidation that I really do despise and if say for example, Sony acquire SquareEnix and say you'll never see another Final Fantasy or SE title on XBOX again, they'll only have themselves to blame. And to be 100% clear, I did not approve of Sony acquiring Bungie, although, that's evidently one of the worst pieces of business Sony have ever done.
Realistically, for the money he has spent, XBOX should be top of the league table (using the football reference once more)... and they might be playing Europa league, but they're not top. They have spent about half the value of Sony as a company on XBOX and they're still third. They're so hard boiled American on their idea's that the console just doesn't appeal to me and sometimes looking through the store when I visit my friends house it's like looking at carbon copies of games I've never heard of before. Phil hasn't really done anything ground breaking, that isn't spending some sum of money. I like his gamer first attitude and he does appear to be a shrewd snake in the grass. Perhaps he's got a plan that isn't quite obvious as of yet... but it'll come due, in time. Sadly, if he was replaced tomorrow, all I'd remember him for is the acquisitions and that's not really innovation, is it? It's not bringing anything new to the table in any way at all.
XBOX is still neglected by Japanese companies because the mantra and direction of the business doesn't suit them as much. Developers, publishers and indie's are more openly saying now that they make far more money from releasing games on Nintendo Swtich or a PS5/PC release etc because GamePass has devalued games. I think they've almost alienated themselves in a way and I'll be damned if Starfield has broken even, however the fuck Microsoft would measure that. That's why I'm sure we'll see a Starfield release on PS5 in the future. Maybe not soon, but inevitably, it's money they're leaving on the table and it's not great for them.
At this point, I'm really thinking XBOX have missed the biggest opportunity they have had, which is to be the worlds biggest third party manufacturer. They don't have to completely abandon hardware. I think Steam Machines were a great concept that unfortunately was done by the wrong company. I think Microsoft should have licenced out the XBOX branding, let companies like HP, Samsung, Asus, Lenovo etc. Make XBOX devices, providing they stick to the regulations Microsoft require them to meet - and go multi-platform. I think that would be huge and the best thing for gamers and gaming at large.
OR
You actually build a first party line up that make incredible games. Foster them, support them, help them to thrive - and go again. Push your console, innovate with your console, drive people to your platform with incredible games and see how they go from there.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
Performance wasn’t that big of an issue and most consumers don’t care that much
Xbox One was outselling PS4 in NA and UK early on despite this
Aion002
Member
Gamepass, backwards compatibility and Xbox Rewards were great ideas.
Releasing games on pc at day one made Xbox redundant to many gamers.
Not many must play exclusives for me.
Hardware wise, the Series S being weaker than the Series X annoyed a lot of people and apparently some devs.
D.
Releasing games on pc at day one made Xbox redundant to many gamers.
Not many must play exclusives for me.
Hardware wise, the Series S being weaker than the Series X annoyed a lot of people and apparently some devs.
D.
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Jigsaah
Gold Member
Who cares about most consumers. This thread was about how I felt Phil did. In that respect the Xbox One X was a big achievement for me.
I don't care about sales or how much profit it made or money it lost. I'm speaking from a singular perspective, my own and how I felt about Phil's achievements and setbacks.
Sushi_Combo
Member
He's failed at enticing me in purchasing an Xbox. There was a need for me to go out and get a 360 because of the games they used to have on offer compared to the competition.
Ev1L AuRoN
Member
In all seriousness. It's astounding that Microsoft is not dominating gaming right now.
The amount of investment, they're practically giving away AAA games with game pass and aggressive pricing with their consoles. Something is wrong in Xbox, and Phil is responsible for it.
The amount of investment, they're practically giving away AAA games with game pass and aggressive pricing with their consoles. Something is wrong in Xbox, and Phil is responsible for it.
Mr Moose
Member
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ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
As a PC/Sony owner - solid S. He ran Xbox into the ground while giving us all the precious library to other platforms, plus he revived few PC-centric series like MSFS, AoE and Civ-like ARA.
Form OG Xbox/X360 fan - D to F. Yes, he kinda saved the Xbox Division during Xbox One fiasco and made some expensive moves. Only to kill Xbox once and for all a few years later. And huge part of his failures is his own mistakes and clear miscalculations, biggest being failed GamePass economy/reach and gigantic ActiBlizz deal that eroded a lot of money and good will and still failed to secure Call of Duty as an exclusive.
Form OG Xbox/X360 fan - D to F. Yes, he kinda saved the Xbox Division during Xbox One fiasco and made some expensive moves. Only to kill Xbox once and for all a few years later. And huge part of his failures is his own mistakes and clear miscalculations, biggest being failed GamePass economy/reach and gigantic ActiBlizz deal that eroded a lot of money and good will and still failed to secure Call of Duty as an exclusive.
diffusionx
Gold Member
D, the games aren't good enough, GamePass isn't going to work out, and the Xbos hardware is probably on its last legs. What saves it from being an E is that I think they have done well on PC. MS has resurrected the Age of Empires and Flight Sim franchise after killing it.
Interfectum
Member
He's the worst thing a manager / leader can be... indecisive.
His vision and direction has been muddy and people pleasing since day one.
His vision and direction has been muddy and people pleasing since day one.
Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Didn't know you swung that way.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Based purely on results, its an easy F. But he's always presented himself really well and kept the faithful "on the hook" for many years, so I'd give him a D overall.
Sorry, but no leader in gaming history has ever spent so much while presiding on a continually dwindling market-share.
Sorry, but no leader in gaming history has ever spent so much while presiding on a continually dwindling market-share.
Punished Miku
Gold Member
S rank for me. Series S was a genius move and allowed people an extremely affordable way to get into this generation. Gamepass has been phenomenal for years with a non-stop stream of stuff to play at an incredibly cheap price. Their curation team has been legendary the last 3 years, with probably 4 gamepass titles being in my top 10 for the year every year. The system UI for the Xbox series is just so superior that's really hard to go back to other systems. Syncing saves seamlessly, smart delivery, quick resume, and cloud all integrated on multiple devices is extremely convenient. Their 1st party is focusing more on unusual genres with a mixture of high, medium and low budgets. I do appreciate the frequent showcases, the interviews, the more open communication style and responsiveness massively over the silent approach you see from competitors.
If the system fully fails, I really don't put the fault on squarely on Spencer. I think the market has just consolidated to the point that it's almost immovable. PS fan loyalty is practically a religion at this point and doesn't seem to be responsive to traditional market forces anymore.
I said in February after seeing their "just 4 games" push start that the only thing they could do to justify this is open up their system to other stores. Turns out they are actively considering that and just mentioned that in a recent interview. If we wind up with an Xbox next gen that has Steam, GOG, and Epic as optional storefronts it will literally shape the whole future of the console industry once again and will make their system by far the best console for me. It fixes the lack of digital storefront competition in the console space and opens up console gamers to titles they're missing out on, and will likely bring game prices down. If they have a handheld as well that syncs up with everything, it will just be insanely convenient to keep gaming this way for me. I wouldn't care what systems they put their games on. But this is all a big "if." We'll have to wait and see how the final act gets written.
Very interested to see how the next few years go. Xbox should have a ton of 1st party content coming. If they can hard pivot next gen hardware-wise as well, he'll go down as one of the most visionary gaming executives in history. If this is all timed to sync up with changing regulation as well globally regarding walled gardens, then their positioning is just insanely impressive.
Nobody replacing Spencer is going to be an improvement. It will be a massive step down. I don't even know who is going to replace Jim Ryan. All you are likely to get from anyone leading MS or Sony is a business exec focused on GAAS and the typical trends we can all guess. Spencer is really not replaceable. The fact that anyone this gaming focused actually exists this deep in MS corporate structure is a minor miracle.
If the system fully fails, I really don't put the fault on squarely on Spencer. I think the market has just consolidated to the point that it's almost immovable. PS fan loyalty is practically a religion at this point and doesn't seem to be responsive to traditional market forces anymore.
I said in February after seeing their "just 4 games" push start that the only thing they could do to justify this is open up their system to other stores. Turns out they are actively considering that and just mentioned that in a recent interview. If we wind up with an Xbox next gen that has Steam, GOG, and Epic as optional storefronts it will literally shape the whole future of the console industry once again and will make their system by far the best console for me. It fixes the lack of digital storefront competition in the console space and opens up console gamers to titles they're missing out on, and will likely bring game prices down. If they have a handheld as well that syncs up with everything, it will just be insanely convenient to keep gaming this way for me. I wouldn't care what systems they put their games on. But this is all a big "if." We'll have to wait and see how the final act gets written.
Very interested to see how the next few years go. Xbox should have a ton of 1st party content coming. If they can hard pivot next gen hardware-wise as well, he'll go down as one of the most visionary gaming executives in history. If this is all timed to sync up with changing regulation as well globally regarding walled gardens, then their positioning is just insanely impressive.
Nobody replacing Spencer is going to be an improvement. It will be a massive step down. I don't even know who is going to replace Jim Ryan. All you are likely to get from anyone leading MS or Sony is a business exec focused on GAAS and the typical trends we can all guess. Spencer is really not replaceable. The fact that anyone this gaming focused actually exists this deep in MS corporate structure is a minor miracle.
buenoblue
Member
I put F. I used to love Phil but yeah he hasn't done anything good as far as I'm concerned. I was all about 360, bought several Xbox one machines including the one x. Xbox was main machine apart from PC. But I haven't even bothered getting a series x, and I barely even play there games on PC apart from Forza but even that has gotten repetitive. I haven't even subbed to gamepass for like 2 years now.
I play nearly every PS5 exclusive and many third party new games on PS5 and PC so I game quite a lot apart from very recently.
So to make me not buy an Xbox or sub to gamepass when I spent thousands on the Xbox platform for a decade something has seriously gone wrong.
I play nearly every PS5 exclusive and many third party new games on PS5 and PC so I game quite a lot apart from very recently.
So to make me not buy an Xbox or sub to gamepass when I spent thousands on the Xbox platform for a decade something has seriously gone wrong.
newtypepilot
Member
F
he's worse than Don because the damage Phil has done is way more substantial and over a long term period. Plus all the expensive acquisitions have not generated the ROI they are hoping for.
he's worse than Don because the damage Phil has done is way more substantial and over a long term period. Plus all the expensive acquisitions have not generated the ROI they are hoping for.
MasterCornholio
Member
I voted S for special.
BigLee74
Member
Not releasing a few big hitting and amazing first party games with the series consoles was the worst thing they ever did, closely followed by releasing first party games day one on Gamepass - great for subscribers, not so great for sales (I for one would still subscribe to Gamepass with a 3 month delay in first party releases).
I don’t think we can blame him for Redfall, but he must take the fall for the barebones Halo/Forza releases.
Having said that, I’ve had fun.
D.
I don’t think we can blame him for Redfall, but he must take the fall for the barebones Halo/Forza releases.
Having said that, I’ve had fun.
D.
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nowhat
Member
I know you're being sincere, but I can't help but to picture this with you speaking to a camera while reading a script from a paper, with a Kalashnikov held close to your head.
analog_future
Resident Crybaby
It's a D from me.
I liked a lot of the initiatives he attempted, but in the end it's about results, and Xbox has floundered over the last decade. Brand value is as low as ever.
Things can change in the years to come, but as of 2024 he has not gotten it done.
I liked a lot of the initiatives he attempted, but in the end it's about results, and Xbox has floundered over the last decade. Brand value is as low as ever.
Things can change in the years to come, but as of 2024 he has not gotten it done.
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cinnamonandgravy
Member
i stopped caring about xbox during his reign, so thats an F from me
ReBurn
Gold Member
King Dazzar
Member
Well he squandered all of my goodwill and trust. And D is too close to a passing C. So F it is.
Topher
Gold Member
Iced Arcade
Member
you would
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
He’s sitting at about a D+, or a 69/100. He has done a really good job for bridging the gap between Windows and Xbox, but ultimately has spent a lot of money for very little software, which has lead to the current malaise.
He definitely should be fired.
He definitely should be fired.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
From 2013 - 2016 I give him a B-. Things like backwards compatibility helped him save the brand. He was a good ambassador for the brand and a likeable figure.
Since 2016 I give him an F-:
1. He failed to get his first party studios in order. Constant studio mishaps. He had two Halo games when he should have had 3.
2. Created Gamepass, which needed unprecedented amounts of growth to be sustainable. Was always destined to fail.
3. Recklessly spent money acquiring publishers
4. Missed easy low hanging fruit.
All of that damaged the brand to the point that it cannot be saved. He ultimately gave nobody any reason to own an Xbox console.
Since 2016 I give him an F-:
1. He failed to get his first party studios in order. Constant studio mishaps. He had two Halo games when he should have had 3.
2. Created Gamepass, which needed unprecedented amounts of growth to be sustainable. Was always destined to fail.
3. Recklessly spent money acquiring publishers
4. Missed easy low hanging fruit.
All of that damaged the brand to the point that it cannot be saved. He ultimately gave nobody any reason to own an Xbox console.
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Dazraell
Member
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MasterCornholio
Member
Iced Arcade
Member
He's like a kid with the nicest pen set and premium paper but he's blind so he can't do connect the dots. just scribbles all over the fucking desk.
phil has done some amazing things for xbox but royally fumbled the shit out of any and all of the opportunity gained.
phil has done some amazing things for xbox but royally fumbled the shit out of any and all of the opportunity gained.
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Cyberpunkd
Member
Press F for respect?
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
The Xbox brand cannot be saved? Oh please, the consoles haven’t been exploding, or killing small children in the middle of the night… a good PR campaign, new direction and tons of software, and they can be on top, given the industry weakness.
That would take a substantial investment, and as a MS investor, I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze. Either way, Spencer is definitely not the person to spearhead the reset.
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