Phil Spencer Still Confident About Xbox But Wants To Find New Customers

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Abiyan

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While recent rumors suggested Xbox could step away from the hardware market, the Microsoft Gaming CEO remains firm in the decision to stay a part of the gaming industry. In a recent interview, Phil Spencer expressed confidence in the Xbox brand.

However, he noted a need to grow the brand through more players.

Why it matters: Xbox’s growth in the console market has seemingly stalled since the PlayStation 5 outsold lifetime Series S|X units in 2023 alone. Microsoft’s positive outlook on the situation could open the doors to a comeback.

During a recent interview with Game File, Phil Spencer discussed Microsoft’s thoughts on the future.

Addressing Xbox’s growth and future in the gaming industry, Phil Spencer highlighted the various strengths of the Xbox business, confirming that Microsoft has no reason to back down at the moment.

I’ve never been more bullish about where we are. Xbox game studios is just an amazing creative organization.

-Phil spencer

He praised his first-party teams and stated that Microsoft was finding growth through both PC and cloud gaming. The Microsoft Gaming CEO wants Xbox to be a part of the growing industry, but he also acknowledged a lack of success in other areas.

He believes that the gaming industry isn’t doing enough work to find new console players. Spencer pointed to stagnating console adoption at around 200 million global households, a number that has stayed consistent for nearly a decade.

He also discussed recent moves like the $70 AAA price point and microtransactions as a means to earn more from each player. Phil Spencer believes that the industry must explore other means for further growth.

From his perspective, this means bringing games to more players through other platforms, devices, and more.

Microsoft recently confirmed four first-party games would go multiplatform. These games are expected to introduce the likes of Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms.

In addition to a huge push for cloud gaming, which will soon include the ability to stream owned games, the third-party strategy is a potential solution to Microsoft’s biggest challenge for the time being.

Still, Xbox remains confident moving forward into 2024. The gaming giant also announced 34 million subscribers for Game Pass this year, hinting at the promise of more growth over the next ten months.

Abiyan

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