Support NeoGAF

[Simply Sami]

For years, I have been hearing what a great job he’s been doing. But all he literally did was fix the mess Don Mattrick caused.

He’s taken over since March 2014, before that he was head of first party since 2009 replacing Shane Kim. It was from 2009, when Xbox first party started to suffer hence why Sony caught up in the end. It didn’t help that Mattrick decided to focus on Kinect.

Phil has been head of Xbox for nearly a decade, there has been no great game delivered by Xbox other than Forza games, which were great before he was put in charge. Halo and Gears are in the worst state possible. The campaigns for their latest releases were just ok, but the multiplayer for both games were dreadful.

Phil had stated last year that it’s been way too long since Xbox released a killer AAA game. Whose fault is that? MS have given him more than enough money to succeed and put a shit ton of money on acquisitions. If Starfield doesn’t deliver, I highly doubt it will happen due to how much profit Xbox makes, that Xbox looks for new leadership.

 

[DrFigs]

He found a way to copy ps now, but make it even less profitable

 

[Arsic]

Phil gave us gamepass, and it’s great.

They put out two consoles for different audiences.

They normalized day one support for PC and console of their major releases.

He did buy these studios but game development right now is a 5+ year cycle so the fruits to that labor haven’t been seen because the acquisitions are recentx

All that said if some of these acquisitions don’t yield banger games he needs to go and many others.

 

[ByWatterson]

He saved Xbox from Microsoft's knife. And that's a real accomplishment.

Not much besides that.

 

[reinking]

He literally saved Xbox.

 

[LordCBH]

He talks a big game. That’s about it.

 

[adamsapple]

Isn't there some kind of rule against not making reactionary threads?

 

[kikkis]

Spend money other people have earned. Yeah gamepass is a thing, but its facing scrutiny over low returns. Basically its loss leader without thing that recoups losses or in this case poorer returns than retail release.

 

[ByWatterson]

He did buy these studios but game development right now is a 5+ year cycle so the fruits to that labor haven’t been seen because the acquisitions are recentx

1. He's been head of first party one way or another since 2008.
2. Those acquisitions WERE five years ago.

 

[Simply Sami]

Isn't there some kind of rule against not making reactionary threads?

It’s been 9 years since he’s been in charge. Not really reactionary.

I’m just wondering whether Xbox would be better off with new leadership as every first party game that isn’t called Forza has some sort of disaster written all over it.

 

[feynoob]

Isn't there some kind of rule against not making reactionary threads?

We will get these, until these people get tired.

It won't stop, until people are satisfied.

It's starting to irritate me, but that is the Internet for you.

 

[Shambala]

 

[Jaybe]

 

[Rykan]

Spend a lot of money. That's basically it.

 

[Arsic]

1. He's been head of first party one way or another since 2008.
2. Those acquisitions WERE five years ago.

Well if we use this year then he’s 1/4. RedFall seems a dud, and Forza and starfield to go. Hi Fi Rush was great though , right ?

If starfield is a disaster then people will want his head on a spike but meme about Todd Howard. Forza I have 100% faith in to be stellar.

If they manage to add in Hellblade 2 and it isn’t cheeks then they’ll have a good year.

 

[ZehDon]

You can read about it in the many threads we've already had about this very topic.

Like this one.
Or this one.
Or this one.
Or this one.
Or maybe this one.

In short: Xbox exists today because Phil Spencer convinced Microsoft to stay in the game.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I dunno…

But a lot of superfans like this guy really love him…

 

[Simply Sami]

Well if we use this year then he’s 1/4. RedFall seems a dud, and Forza and starfield to go. Hi Fi Rush was great though , right ?

If starfield is a disaster then people will want his head on a spike but meme about Todd Howard. Forza I have 100% faith in to be stellar.

If they manage to add in Hellblade 2 and it isn’t cheeks then they’ll have a good year.

Forza will be great. But every forza has been great for the past decade or so.

Forza isn’t going to move the needle as everyone who loves forza most likely owns a Xbox console.

 

[Sanepar]

Pr machine and a legion of religious blind fanboys who thinks Xbox is the victim of evil Sony.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[DryvBy]

You can read about it in the many threads we've already had about this very topic.

Like this one.
Or this one.
Or this one.
Or this one.
Or maybe this one.

In short: Xbox exists today because Phil Spencer convinced Microsoft to stay in the game.

"Guys, stick around. There's more money to waste while you pay me massive amounts of money."

Make no mistake, I don't want Xbox to go away. I want them to get rid of this jag hole and get a real manager in charge. I want Microsoft to compete with their own games, not be that M$ meme they became years ago. I consider the first Xbox one of the best consoles of all time in terms of fun and innovation but it's been downhill since.

Get rid of Phil. That's a huge start to fixing Xbox.

 

[gow3isben]

I want Xbox to fire Philip and then PlayStation to hire him as Jimbo’s VP

 

[FoxMcChief]

He’s taken residence in a lot of heads.

 

[feynoob]

"Guys, stick around. There's more money to waste while you pay me massive amounts of money."

Make no mistake, I don't want Xbox to go away. I want them to get rid of this jag hole and get a real manager in charge. I want Microsoft to compete with their own games, not be that M$ meme they became years ago. I consider the first Xbox one of the best consoles of all time in terms of fun and innovation but it's been downhill since.

Get rid of Phil. That's a huge start to fixing Xbox.

The question, who is going to take over him?

Plus the problem isn't Phil only. The entire management needs reshuffling. And in order to do that, you need to have a plan, so that you don't mess up all the progress. And these take time too.

It's not something that can happen overtime.

 

[demigod]

The man just can’t stop winning awards.

Spoiler

Nobody knows for what

 

[AJUMP23]

Mattrick made a huge mess there was a lot to clean up.

Bring back J allard.

 

[Germuso]

Wearing gaming shirts and lying...

It's the Obama of gaming.

 

[Clintizzle]

Live in some people's head - rent free.

 

[01011001]

this song is 16 years old...

 

[Simply Sami]

The question, who is going to take over him?

Plus the problem isn't Phil only. The entire management needs reshuffling. And in order to do that, you need to have a plan, so that you don't mess up all the progress. And these take time too.

It's not something that can happen overtime.

I am sure they can easily find somebody to take over for him.

Xbox 360 era success was down to Peter Moore and J Allard. Once they left, it went downhill. With the billions spent since they left, you would think MS would be closer not further away from Sony.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Basically he was given a blank cheque from MS to support the things Xbox cant afford Like Gamepass and Acquisitions.
The best thing he has actually done is Backwards compatibility and quick Resume

 

[Danjin44]

Live in some people's head - rent free.

You are not wrong, I'm still try figure out people's obsession with CEOs here, If you were investor that would be much more understandable.

 

[Edmund]

He is a master at PR. Really damn good at lying and painting themself as the good guys.

A master at misdirection as well (Sony aren't our rivals, We're buying ATVI for candy crush)


He's a living breathing masterclass at PR.

 

[Simply Sami]

You are not wrong, I'm still try figure out people's obsession with CEOs here, If you were investor that would be much more understandable.

Because these are the people that make the key decisions and the direction that the company is heading to.

Are you saying the criticism of Mattrick over the Xbox one debacle wasn’t valid? Should gamers just stay quiet because we not investors?

 

[SlimySnake]

I dont think he should get the blame for Starfield and Redfall delays. Thats on Bethesda. Maybe he couldve hired external studios like Nixxes and Iron Galaxy to handle the PC ports or provide better support to Arkhane, but he did delay the games by a year. There is nothing much he can do other than maybe cancel Redfall.

He should get the blame for his first party just sleep walking through last gen and this gen. He actuall took over from Don Matrick in June of 2013. He's been leading xbox for basically 10 years. First party since 2008. He's clueless and shouldve been replaced years ago. I am pretty sure he bought Bethesda because he knew that all those first party studios are terrible and were never going to produce AAA games. Starfield even with the delay is too big to fail and even if it ships in a broken state like skyrim and fallout did, will indeed win goty awards and sell millions. Hellblade, Fable, Avowed, State of Decay, perfeck dark and everwild are all MIA. He cant get these studios to produce actual video games. It's shocking really.

Bethesda is going to save his ass.

 

[CoreyFlawless]

He save Xbox. Xbox fans love cause he gave them game pass and kept Xbox alive and it looking up. PlayStation fans hate him cause he giving Xbox a fighting chance.

 

[Beastclaw Raider]

Starfield even with the delay is too big to fail and even if it ships in a broken state like skyrim and fallout did, will indeed win goty awards

hehehe

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

He saved Xbox at the same time under his leadership he is killing it

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

He should get the blame for his first party just sleep walking through last gen and this gen. He actuall took over from Don Matrick in June of 2013. He's been leading xbox for basically 10 years. First party since 2008. He's clueless and shouldve been replaced years ago. I am pretty sure he bought Bethesda because he knew that all those first party studios are terrible and were never going to produce AAA games. Starfield even with the delay is too big to fail and even if it ships in a broken state like skyrim and fallout did, will indeed win goty awards and sell millions. Hellblade, Fable, Avowed, State of Decay, perfeck dark and everwild are all MIA. He cant get these studios to produce actual video games. It's shocking really.

Bethesda is going to save his ass.

Bethesda is still unknown at this point. It's very possible Starfield underperforms expectations just like Redfall. Rumors going around it's extremely rough. Expectations have changed. You can't release a bugged out game with 2010 mechanics and expect it to do well on name alone - Just look at Arkane today. That shit isn't going to fly. It won't win or even be nominated for GOTY awards except by proxy of a pity nomination if that's the case.

Maybe they EVENTUALLY save his ass but by the time Elder Scrolls released again, if they do turn it around, I imagine Phil will no longer be at Microsoft.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Bethesda is still unknown at this point. It's very possible Starfield underperforms expectations just like Redfall. Rumors going around it's extremely rough.

Maybe they EVENTUALLY save his ass but by the time Elder Scrolls released again, if they do turn it around, I imagine Phil will no longer be at Microsoft.

I have been asked a few times about Starfield especially after this disaster of a launch so I asked if there was positive news recently on Starfield with how todays launch went and I will share here the text I got back

This very gif

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I have been asked a few times about Starfield especially after this disaster of a launch so I asked if there was positive news recently on Starfield with how todays launch went and I will share here the text I got back

This very gif

Can't wait.

But if your last rumor was pretty recent, there's just no turning around a mess with a few month delay.

Phil is going to have another tough choice to make. Have Xbox go another year without any big hits (other than Forza I guess) and the embarassment that comes from that, or let Starfield get more TLC and release it sometime in 2024.

Wow though....setting a fall 2022 release date and then having it go to potentially fall 2024 is definitely egg on his face, but the right call. I don't think they can let it get that bad first reception like Cyberpunk did or many recent examples of games.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

He saved Xbox at the same time under his leadership he is killing it

This is probably the most apt of all posts here. The man convinced MS to keep Xbox around and he did a good job making Xbox One more relevant with Game Pass and a lot of timed day one deals for Game Pass. And going into 2020 with the release of the Series X and the Bethesda purchase, Xbox was poised to give Sony a run for their money. And it all went off like a wet fart so far.

 

[Yoboman]

It's not Phil

He is accountable sure but he doesn't manage Xbox 1st Party day to day

That's Matt Booty. The guy who once ran Midway into bankruptcy and out of existence in 2010. Now running Xbox first party with no accountability for over a decade

 

[Danjin44]

Because these are the people that make the key decisions and the direction that the company is heading to.

Are you saying the criticism of Mattrick over the Xbox one debacle wasn’t valid? Should gamers just stay quiet because we not investors?

I personally only care about people who make those games, same way I only care about actors and directors for movies. I have no interest the business side of it.

CEO only care about making money for their company and investors thats their job, I just find it weird how they are treated like celebrities here.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

It's not Phil

He is accountable sure but he doesn't manage Xbox 1st Party day to day

That's Matt Booty. The guy who once ran Midway into bankruptcy and out of existence in 2010. Now running Xbox first party with no accountability for over a decade

Phil hires the Matt Booty

Phil lets the Matt Booty flounder

So ultimately, Phil is at fault. He needs to recognize quickly when something is not working. Booty has been there way too long

 

[demigod]

I have been asked a few times about Starfield especially after this disaster of a launch so I asked if there was positive news recently on Starfield with how todays launch went and I will share here the text I got back

This very gif

Didn’t you say Halo infinite got better before it launched? How would you rate that with your Starfields rumor you heard?

 

[freefornow]

 

[Yoboman]

Phil hires the Matt Booty

Phil lets the Matt Booty flounder

So ultimately, Phil is at fault. He needs to recognize quickly when something is not working. Booty has been there way too long

Yeah I agree Phil still accountable but he's not directly producing the bad results is my point

Booty needs the axe

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Didn’t you say Halo infinite got better before it launched? How would you rate that with your Starfields rumor you heard?

I really don't remember what I said about Halo in all honesty

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Yeah I agree Phil still accountable but he's not directly producing the bad results is my point

Booty needs the axe

A decade though? I mean, at some point, you gotta show SOMETHING. The first party situation just seems to get worse despite all these purchases.

Yeah Phil ain't a coder for 343, but my god he is responsible for making sure his studios reach key milestones or have the staffing they need