Ahead of Xbox's 20th anniversary, we sat down with him and Microsoft's gaming A-Team to discuss their wildly ambitious future. But its cool to see how the industry learns and is inspired by each step, whether its the Adaptive Controller, or the work that The Last of Us has done, whether its individual game teams that are going out to spotlight, and frankly, build empathy for people who have a different lived experience. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Spencer's promotion in a companywide email today. The high cost of manufacturing the Xbox didnt do its creator any favors, making the next big event in the systems timeline even more surprising. Phil is the right person to lead Xbox forward. We sat down to discuss where Xbox was before he was at the helm, and where he sees it now after a lot of humility, that is. Jerret will continue to be a member of Chris leadership team and leverage critical parts of Microsofts marketing muscle including Communications, Media, and Consumer Sales. It aids blind/low vision players when making turns on tracks, regardless of vehicle, allowing them to stay on course in addition to listening for audio cues. Nearly a full year later, Bill Gates, with help from Dwayne The Rock Johnson, revealed the final design of the Xbox at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, along with the systems official release date. Going back to the birth of personal computing in the 1970s, the ability to play games has been limited by the cost and power of the specific device youre using, whether its an arcade cabinet or a PC, a phone, a tablet, whatever. We expect this acquisition to close in FY23, pending regulatory approvals. He has also been a frequent guest on podcasts, radio programs, and TV spots. The legendary games and franchises across that company have delighted millions of people for decades. We will have a webcast for investors and media at 6 a.m. PT to discuss the Activision Blizzard transaction and our plans as Microsoft Gaming. Now we know who'll replace. From the audio cues to Steering Guide, each individual asset of the Blind Driving Assists needed to go beyond assumptions and cater toward real players. In fact, one of the things we have learned from all of the work you all have done is in some sense, it starts after the game is launched because you want to be able to experiment, learn through analytics and continuously change gameplay. Theyre expanding that economic opportunity, too. Thanks so much, Satya, for joining us today. The notion that Microsoft should develop its own gaming console began gaining traction way back in 1998, with Kevin Bachus, Seamus Blackley, Otto Berkes, and Ted Hase forming the software giants first console team after successfully pitching their idea to Bill Gates. They have the power to bring us together, create empathy, and strengthen our social fabric. Its been a game changer for me. Directed by James Mangold, the movie also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. Spencer: Microsoft almost abandoned Xbox brand after the Xbox One . With Stadia, a cloud-based gaming service, becoming incredibly popular with gamers, Microsoft had to step up so they could stay in the competition. Gameplay and accessibility producer Neha Chintala, and senior sound designer Todd Helsley explain the challenges behind opening racing games to blind/low vision individuals. . With the xCloud preview, you get 50 games. Following Mattricks departure, the role was briefly filled by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, but soon after the company announced a major restructuring that split the Xbox division. The company must continue to expand its manufacturing to include various systems customers can choose from according to their individual needs. Phil Spencer is the new boss of all things Xbox, Microsoft confirms . And whats really surprised us is that its transforming how our entire industry thinks about Xbox and how we can reach a wider audience. Along with being able to connect with friends (and strangers), Xbox Live also made it possible to download new content and take multiplayer interaction to a new level. On November 14, the Times Square branch of Toys R Us played host to the official launch of the Xbox, with Bill Gates dropping by to kick off his companys grand experiment in gaming. The newest entry in the Forza Motorsport series (simply called Forza Motorsport) has already been revealed to include numerous accessibility options commonly found in most modern games like control remapping, subtitles, and varying colorblind modes and filters. You can also access most of these through the Game Pass cloud computing program. Why trust us? If you've already upgraded to the Xbox Series X, don't worry: The vast majority of Xbox One games work on the Series X and Series S with Microsoft's Smart Delivery program. How Forza Motorsport is changing accessible gaming | CNN Underscored One year after the Kinect was announced, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 would be getting a major redesign, with a thinner body, upgraded internal specs, additional USB ports, and built-in Wi-Fi. Heres how it works. Microsoft's gaming leadership is now completely unified under Spencer, including Microsoft's gaming marketing team. The History of the Xbox | Digital Trends They can no longer afford to ignore customer demand to diversify their options. What we wanted to do is build something that fit into the oral landscape of the game already, Helsley said. We want to make it easier for people to connect and play great games wherever, whenever and however they want. Games are a source of joy, inspiration, and social connection. Gamereactor uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best browsing experience on our website. Already, more and more people are creating something new and magical every day. It was there that the Xbox developer first connected with Bungie Studios, the creators of a third-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved. The acquisition has considerable ramifications for Xbox and the gaming industry as a whole, but it also heralds a shift internally for Microsoft. When it comes to first-party exclusives, the Series X is still growing. This was the move that helped make history. Microsoft has announced Phil Spencer is the new Head of Xbox, taking over from the recently departed Marc Whitten, who served as Xbox corporate VP. More recently, if you couldnt spend hundreds of dollars on a game console, potentially thousands of dollars on a high-end PC, you simply couldnt participate in the global gaming community in a significant way. Obviously, todays agreement to acquire Activision Blizzard is incredibly exciting. As Microsoft gaming head Phil Spencer notes, these partnerships ultimately shift the accessibility movement to continuously refine and innovate, both for studios and players. Xbox Game Pass now boasts of over 25 million subscribers, a number that will likely only continue to rise as Microsoft begins adding Activision Blizzard games to the service. Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition will bring exclusives like Starfield and Redfall, and the potential addition of all Activision Blizzard games would further bolster that list, but the console's real strength lies in third-party support. More games are also on the way. Xbox head Phil Spencer recently got promoted to Microsoft's executive leadership team, in a big show of confidence for gaming. Phil Spencer Brings Hope Back To Xbox Fans! Incredible - YouTube And because studios continuously learn from each other, these initiatives have the potential to shape how developers approach designs and features for blind/low vision players. However, Microsoft is currently cooking up something interesting for customers, whether they enjoy using a console or like to stream. The head of Xbox has no immediate plans to leave the company, but he is. Spencer: How about we start talking about Azure? Microsoft announced a new generation during E3 2019. The cloud will allow us to completely remove these barriers to play worldwide. [5], "Introducing Forza Motorsport 7's December Bounty Hunter: Phil Spencer - Xbox Wire", "Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer Celebrates His 55th Birthday Today", "Welcoming the Incredible Teams and Legendary Franchises of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming", "Kinect Accelerator Mentor: Phil Spencer", "Microsoft's Videogame Boss and the Long Battle to Reinvent the Company", "Welcome Phil Spencer, Microsoft's New Xbox-Everything Honcho", "E3 2012: Phil Spencer Post-Conference Interview", "E3 2013: Phil Spencer Talks Xbox One Lineup", "Satya Nadella email to employees on tuning our organization", "Microsoft Xbox boss Phil Spencer just got a big promotion, and will now report directly to CEO Satya Nadella", "The DeanBeat: Microsoft's Phil Spencer steps up as a diversity leader", "Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo get up on stage at The Game Awards", "Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion", "Read Microsoft Gaming CEO's email to staff about the Activision Blizzard acquisition", "Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is", "Phil Spencer to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 25th Annual DICE Awards", "New York Game Awards 2023: Elden Ring Wins Two Awards as Phil Spencer Is Honored", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phil_Spencer_(business_executive)&oldid=1148728494, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 22:55. The now-former head of Microsoft Studios will consolidate and oversee the Xbox and Xbox Live creative teams, as well as Xbox . His lived experiences as a disabled individual afford him the opportunity to provide insight that is not only beneficial for developers, but also the blind/low vision community itself. In a new interview, Microsoft's current Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed that, back when Don Mattrick was in charge of the division, the original goal of the team was . newsletter, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaks early, Nintendo is likely to take these down quickly, The Wes Anderson directs Star Wars AI art fad has its first full movie trailer, The Galactic Menagerie: A Star Wars Story is dividing Star Wars fans and Wes Anderson fans, Sign up for the We're big fans of the latest Xbox consoles here at Underscored. Career Xboxs accessible innovations and developments have benefited disabled players for years. Thats why we created Game Pass, to open up the ways that players can play more games with their friends, ultimately bringing in more players, making games more accessible to everyone. Happy Birthday to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer! : r/XboxSeriesX - Reddit Phil Spencer shows that the console war is dumb. Does Phil Spencer's leadership need to be reevaluated? Were very excited about what creators can do going forward with the platform shifts that we are going to have in the next 10 years. All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards. Spencer said . We continue to build value proposition of Game Pass through building our first-party game studios. Im really excited about the opportunity in gaming. And as you know, Phil, were also seeing tremendous traction when it comes to game development on Azure with companies like Pearl Abyss scaling their gaming, using the power of our cloud. Read Microsoft Gaming CEO's email to staff about the Activision Windows Central is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Xbox's Phil Spencer: 'We're not driven by how many consoles we sell' Dubbed the Remix Special Edition, the gamepad is largely made up of recycled plastics and other reclaimed materials. Spencer, previously operating under the lengthy "Executive Vice-President of Gaming at Microsoft" title (and more commonly referred to as the "Head of Xbox") is now officially CEO, Microsoft Gaming. Teasing the systems vastly improved specs and the potential for both online play and internal storage of downloaded content games and media Gates managed to get the worlds attention. We believe we can play a leading role in democratizing gaming and defining that future of interactive entertainment, quite frankly, at scale. Were looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard. And with the cloud, gaming players can participate fully in the same Xbox experience as people on local hardware. By the end of 2005, more than 1.5 million consoles had shipped, putting the system well on its way to becoming the new master of the console castle. Gaming has been key to Microsoft since our earliest days as a company. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Shortly after Mattrick's departure, Microsoft announced a major reorganization under which Julie Larson-Green became the head of the Xbox hardware and studios groups, while Myerson was given leadership of development on the Xbox One OS. Microsoft's gaming leadership is uniting under Phil Spencer's guidance. Activision Blizzard wont be a particularly easy acquisition for Microsoft, though. The Xbox One might not have the same selection of exclusives as the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch, but the handful it does have are worth checking out. Phil Spencer, former head of Xbox, will now lead this team as it focuses on gaming across Xbox, PC, mobile, and the cloud. On April 18, 2002, Microsoft slashed the price of the Xbox from $299 to $199. We deeply value individual studio cultures. The Xbox 360 S hit shelves a few days later on June 18, 2010. And with Forza Motorsports Blind Driving Assists, Turn 10 Studios wants to change that expectation. Phil Spencer saved Xbox. The release of the Xbox 360 in the U.S. on November 22, 2005, and in Europe and Japan the following month, resulted in sellouts in nearly every market except Japan, where the system still struggled to find an audience. Something went wrong. . Head of Xbox Phil Spencer makes his long-awaited return to Unlocked for an exclusive one-hour interview. "In the long run, to me, it's a question about the viability of the television,". [9][10][11][12], In late March 2014, Satya Nadella announced in a corporate e-mail that Spencer was to "lead the Xbox, Xbox Live, Groove Music and Movies & TV teams, and Microsoft Studios" as part of the Windows and Devices division. The Head of Xbox Wants to Make Upgradable Consoles | Digital Trends He began his journalism career back in 2010 while still in high school, and subsequently graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University's E.W. Phil Spencer on the Meeting That Almost Ended the Xbox Division at Microsoft. However, second place also led to a tremendous amount of innovation from Microsoft. To start, Id like to thank everyone for all of the hard work and dedication that have built this business and this community. Not long after the 360 arrived on the market, the term Red Ring of Death began sending shivers down the spines of Xbox gamers. I mean, for me, you just go to Xbox.com/play, and Ill tell you, its a really fast, easy way to get into gaming. As Spencer notes, the games industry wants to support disabled players. It is being marketed as the worlds most powerful console, with speculation that it could end up being even more powerful than Sonys PlayStation 5. Today, its the largest and fastest-growing form of entertainment, and as the digital and physical worlds come together, it will play a critical role in the development of metaverse platforms. Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RyanFlemingPDX Find Ryan online at: Phil Spencer - Biography - IMDb Larson-Green took a new position within the company in February, and was replaced by former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop. And thats where Game Pass comes in. Yet, he encourages blind/low vision individuals to listen to others in the community and trust these settings. The head of Xbox and executive vice president of gaming at Microsoft, Spencer says popular games like . It would allow players to enter the new ecosystem more quickly, and Microsofts own Xbox console exclusives will also be compatible with Xbox One systems for at least a year after the Series X launches. Spencer and his Microsoft Gaming team will certainly have a lot of work to do to ensure the culture inside Activision Blizzard is addressed. Speaking with IGN, Turn 10 Studios developers, an accessibility consultant, and Xbox head Phil Spencer discuss the development process behind Blind Driving Assists, the importance of community involvement, and Xboxs desire to create an inclusive and accessible industry. [4] He is currently the head of the Xbox brand and leads the global creative and engineering teams responsible for gaming at Microsoft. You get a lot of cues from the games audio already like what surface youre driving on, what your cars RPM is, how fast youre going with the wind flying by you, and what we wanted to do was make sure the sounds that we were using to provide this extra information that the blind player needed to get around the track wouldnt conflict with those sounds.. Thanks for being here, Satya. Turn 10 Studios developers, an accessibility consultant, and Xbox head Phil Spencer discuss the development process behind Blind Driving Assists, the importance of community involvement, and Xbox . According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Spencer emphasized Microsoft's dedication to finalizing the deal despite acknowledging the . Phil Spencer (born January 12, 1968) [3] is an American business executive and the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. In todays world, companies are continually being pushed to modify and expand their products and services; Microsoft has chosen to appease their loyal customers in an effort to keep them around. Earlier this year, we announced that our Game Pass subscription had passed 18 million members. Microsoft announced that they have more than 100 titles ready to add once xCloud is officially made public. Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) / Twitter On Tuesday, Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in a landmark move for the company. The original Xbox launched late in 2001, nearly nineteen years ago. While Microsoft was been hit with criticism for the Xbox Series X's slow-growing exclusive lineup-- several highly anticipated titles like Bethesda's Starfieldand co-op shooter Redfall have been pushed to later in 2023 -- the company is still delivering one of the best deals in gaming: Xbox Game Pass. Weve shared some highlights from the day in another article, but we also wanted to share one of the days biggest moments on its own. All Xbox One games with mouse and keyboard support, Xbox Game Pass new games: whats new and whats leaving in April 2023, The best Xbox One games to play right now. I had to learn to slow down when going into a turn. Phil will continue his close partnership with Yusuf Mehdi, who leads business strategy and marketing for Xbox, George Peckham, who heads up third-party partnerships and Mike Angiulo, who will continue leading Xbox hardware. As technologies advance and as more disabled individuals offer their skills to developers, the design practices and features that disabled people use will eliminate even more unintentional barriers. Xbox release dates in Japan (February 22, 2002) and Europe (March 14, 2002) soon followed, though the system failed to catch fire in either of the two regions with the same energy that fueled its arrival in North America. While the Xbox fanbase continued to grow with the addition of Xbox Live, it wasnt all sunshine and sales in the years to follow. He worked on products such as Encarta and Microsoft Money before taking the position of Microsoft Studios' worldwide general manager in 2008 and being promoted to corporate vice president the following year. CEO Satya Nadella stated that the company internally referred to the xCloud endeavor as Netflix for games. With the xCloud preview, you get 50 games. like, xbox one launch level embarrassment. At the Wall Street Journal's Tech Live conference Wednesday (and cataloged by our sister site, The Verge ), head of Xbox Phil Spencer revealed that Microsoft may eventually raise the prices. We're looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.". Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. Phil Spencer Reportedly Assures Staff Xbox Will Persist Even Without The Kinect arrived on shelves in November of that year. What I showed them was how different audio cues could work together, and how they could also run over each other if done incorrectly, Cole said. 28 Apr 2023 06:18:01 Arguably the most important event in the evolution of the Xbox and the growth of Microsofts place in the gaming industry occurred on the consoles first birthday with the launch of Xbox Live. As a company, Microsofts all-in on gaming. Just after E3, Mattrick revealed that it would change course regarding online connection requirements and used games, instead having them work as they did on the Xbox 360. Although itd be amazing if we only had to depend on game streaming services instead of PCs and gaming consoles, we havent arrived at this level of innovation quite yet. In addition to video games, Gabe has also covered television, film, and music, and he has done everything from news to reviews and video work. When you talk about Xboxs mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet, which I absolutely love, this is precisely what I think of when we think about Microsofts mission, which is to empower every person, every organization on the planet to achieve more. Per tradition, Microsoft had its presentation before Sony, and revealed a $500 price for its console, with Kinect bundled with every system. Nadella: Thanks so much, Phil. Later that year, production of the Xbox officially ceased, with the final tally of sold consoles sitting at around 24 million units. When Microsoft brought the Xbox One to E3 the following month, things didnt get any easier. If you're looking to stay competitive while playing online multiplayer games versus next-gen console and PC players or are just looking to avoid some wonky console interface that's difficult to navigate, you may want to try using a keyboard and mouse with your Xbox One. To get a deeper dive, I spoke to Cole as well as Turn 10 Studios' gameplay & accessibility producer Neha Chintala and head of Xbox Phil Spencer about bringing these features to life and why . There's an obvious reason: Microsoft's $69 billion bid to buy the massive, but scandal-ridden Activision Blizzard during The Game Awards 2019. Nadella announced today that Elop will serve as executive vice president of Microsoft's Devices group once the company's $7.17 billion acquisition of Nokia closes, which is expected to occur by the end of April. As part of Microsofts plan to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the software giant has created a Microsoft Gaming division. Now, the brand is set to reimagine itself yet again when the Xbox Series X releases this holiday season. Microsoft continued to push the envelope on both the console and its marketing budget with more demonstrations at the Electronic Entertainment Expo a few months later. Posted: Mar 31, 2014 8:36 am. "It's been a remarkable year for Xbox and I am honored to lead the team at this incredible time for Microsoft and the games industry.". Popular game developer Electronic Arts took issue with the subscription-based structure of Xbox Live and opted out of releasing their popular Madden football games for the Xbox in 2003, only to cut a deal with Microsoft a year later. And Coles understanding and expertise being blind is just one of many disabled experiences that Xbox looks for when creating games. PSN: IridiumSix. With his team and game development partners, Spencer continues to push the boundaries of creativity, technical innovation and fun across gaming genres, audiences and . That cost, the retail model have limited the audience for creators and the entire industry. The last game produced for the Xbox in North America, Madden 09, was released in August 2008, and support for the system was discontinued in March 2009. Y'all keep saying that but it's been 4 long years since 2018, and we've barely heard a peep from most of the new studios. The former head of . Alongside audio indicators, Helsley explains that another feature within Blind Driving Assists, the steering guide, took several years of fine-tuning before it was in an entertaining and usable state. For sighted individuals, this information is learned over time by trying different cars or courses. Blind Driving Assists are just one example of Xboxs continuous support of disabled players. It also introduced Xbox Game Pass, a program that gives subscribers unlimited access to a vault of older Xbox games, as well as day-one access to the latest releases. Gaming has been key to Microsoft from our earliest of days. How Forza Motorsport's Next Entry Is Introducing Innovative - IGN We talk about Xbox Series X price, whether coronavir. A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon. Quote Tweet. Eagle-eyed fans. Head of Xbox: Phil Spencer's History at Xbox - YouTube [22], He serves on the boards of the First Tee of Greater Seattle and the Entertainment Software Association.