Refocusing Xbox activities on home consoles.
Just over a month ago, we reported on the - surprise - retirement of Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division and an employee of the Redmond-based company for 38 long years. This retirement would of course mean change at the top of the company, but in the wake of this, it was Sarah Bond, Phil Spencer's protégé, who announced her departure from the company while she was President of Xbox. Everyone saw Sarah Bond as the designated replacement for Phil Spencer, and to see her jump ship in this way sounded like a disavowal of his policies.
A disavowal that will no doubt have many other consequences, but one that we've seen a glaring example of in recent weeks. Launched in November 2024, the " This is an Xbox " campaign has always been very badly received, but Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond have nevertheless insisted on keeping it going. The campaign was designed to extend the horizons of the Xbox brand, emphasizing that it didn't just apply to the home console market: according to Microsoft's teams, any machine capable of running Xbox Game Pass immediately became an Xbox, whether it was a home console, a desktop PC, a laptop, a portable console or even a smartphone.
Many observers then pointed out that Microsoft had got it all wrong with a common-sense phrase: " If everything is an Xbox, then nothing is an Xbox anymore ", and the brand's image was disintegrating in the eyes of the public.
Microsoft Gaming's new CEO Asha Sharma and new Xbox Content Director Matt Booty. ©IGN
Phil Spencer has been replaced by Asha Sharma and Sarah Bond by Matt Booty. It didn't take long for the new duo to make their mark, stating as soon as they took office that they wanted to "celebrate our roots by renewing our commitment to Xbox". It didn't take a rocket scientist to deduce from these words the desire to relaunch Xbox hardware and put the emphasis back on consoles. Just a few days ago, Microsoft's gaming division confirmed the development of a new machine, Project Helix. Of course, it's still too early to tell exactly what it will be, but the signal is strong.
Another major signal is the end of the "This is an Xbox" campaign. By mid-March, there was no longer the slightest mention of this campaign in Xbox ads. The "This is an Xbox" illustrations and video clips have all disappeared, but Microsoft did not communicate on the whys and wherefores of this change. It was the Windows Central site that got to the bottom of the story. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that " Asha withdrew the 'This is an Xbox' campaign because it wasn't in the Xbox spirit " before adding that " Asha is personally leading a brand image overhaul ". Duly noted.
