A Gamer's Thoughts: Has Xbox Failed The Gamers? (Editorial)

 

Written By: Sam Delong-The idea of trusting Xbox is becoming increasingly difficult these days. I’ve spoken at length about how much I love Game Pass, and have even written about it on X, as well as on this very platform. However, Phil Spencer’s “XBOX is everywhere” strategy is starting to show its cracks — and gamers and developers are paying the price. And it’s time for us as consumers (and devs) to speak up and say what needs to be said — You don’t care about us — and we know it. For all of XBOX’s talk about putting gamers first, the real picture shows a soulless corporate machine that answers real questions with fake platitudes and tone-deaf disconnected responses. Phil Spencer’s latest word salad response reads like an AI-generated slap in the face. After laying off 9,000 employees and canceling Perfect Dark, Phil Spencer stated that his teams.

The following message from Phil Spencer was shared with all gaming staff today:

Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today’s notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.

I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate efforts on areas with the greatest potential while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come.

 

Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental — it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams.

HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review.

While this statement does take great care to acknowledge the human element in the room, the bigger picture is that XBOX seems to still be in the figuring-it-out phase. Which would be fine if XBOX was making those of us in the XBOX fanbase feel like we were seeing the benefits of these decisions. Here we are years removed from mergers and partnerships, without nearly a single exclusive to its name. And outside of Game Pass, there is no reason to have faith in XBOX — the limit of good intentions and the promise of grand plans over the horizon has run out. This doesn’t have any effect on me as a gamer — I have a PC and all of the consoles. Playing XBOX games on PC for me is great. However, if I were an XBOX console owner, I’d be viewing XBOX as an abusive relationship.

In a now-deleted LinkedIn Post, an XBOX Executive Producer suggested that recently fired Devs use ChatGPT to handle emotions over job losses. And that is all you need to know about the true mindset over at Team Green. You are not people to them. You are a dot on a chart. A footnote in a shareholders' meeting. Phil Spencer seems to indicate that he wants to eradicate “redundant management,” which is a great idea. But this sentiment comes a little too late for my taste. XBOX and the games industry as a whole are in an era where creativity is being sacrificed over money, betting on trends, and dragging gamers along for the ride. However, every time a big gamble happens that doesn’t pay off, the ones who are responsible for the big decisions are never held accountable. Don’t get it twisted — they need to start treating us as customers and not just “fans.” If you don’t like where things are going, vote with your wallet — and if you need to, your keyboard. They need us — we don’t need them.