Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has a vision of the future where every game is available on Xbox Game Pass. The answer to his question, “Why did we create Game Pass?” was that it would be cheaper for consumers and allow developers more time to focus on making games rather than spending money on marketing campaigns with middlemen who charge a percentage fee. However, in light of recent business deals by Microsoft like buying EA and partnering with Square Enix, some fans have found it hard not to wonder if Spencer’s plan will work out after all.
Phil Spencer has been a controversial figure in the gaming industry. In an interview with GameSpot, Phil Spencer said that he pushed for Xbox Game Pass against the wishes of his own staff.
Image credit: Microsoft
Since its launch on June 1, 2017, Xbox Game Pass has enticed over 20 million gamers with its great library of high-quality games for a relatively low monthly price, but the service probably wouldn’t have materialized without Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, who was apparently very bullish on the idea and did more for it than anyone could have imagined. Spencer had to go so far as to persuade his own team that Game Pass, a highly ambitious notion at the time, had genuine promise and wouldn’t wind up being an expensive fiasco for Microsoft, according to a recent article published by The Wall Street Journal. According to at least one former staff member, Spencer “wouldn’t accept no for an answer” and eventually made it happen despite a barrage of reasons that indicated Game Pass wouldn’t work.
The Videogame Boss of Microsoft and the Long Battle to Reinvent the Company (The Wall Street Journal)
- Mr. Spencer’s team would make reasons at meetings about why Game Pass wouldn’t work—publishers wouldn’t join, or it would cut into earnings, according to Mr. Irving, a former Xbox employee. Mr. Spencer, on the other hand, was unyielding.
- Mr. Irving, who was there during those early meetings, said, “He wouldn’t accept no for an answer.” “He was constantly attempting to come up with a solution.”
- “I wouldn’t be shocked if Phil has played every game that came out in the last year and had an opinion on it,” said Richard Irving, who worked at Microsoft for 12 years until departing in 2016. “Phil is a gamer at heart.”
The Xbox executive’s achievements in the games industry have not gone unnoticed by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), which announced last week that Spencer would be awarded the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony on February 24. It will be presented by Todd Howard, Bethesda Game Studios’ game director and executive producer.
The 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards will honor Phil Spencer with a Lifetime Achievement Award (GamesPress)
- Spencer has held a variety of positions at Microsoft since arriving as an intern in 1988, including Executive Vice President, Gaming; Head of Xbox; Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Studios; and General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios EMEA.
- Spencer has led the Xbox organization through multiple console launches, including the Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox One S All Digital Edition, and Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X; multiple acquisitions, including Mojang (parent company of Minecraft), Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Compulsion Games, Obsidian Entertainment, inXile Entertainment, and ZeniMax Media (parent company of Bethesda Softworks); and influenced global entertainment through his roles at Microsoft.
- He also oversaw the Xbox Network’s development, as well as Microsoft’s investments in subscription business models with Xbox Game Pass and the launch of Xbox Cloud Gaming. Spencer continues to push the frontiers of creativity, technological innovation, and enjoyment across genres, audiences, and platforms with his team and colleagues.
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Phil Spencer has been the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division since 2014. He took over for Don Mattrick and was pushed for Xbox Game Pass against the wishes of his own staff. Reference: when did phil spencer take over xbox.
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