Asha Sharma and Matt Booty talk in an interview about Xbox's change in strategy
In her very first weeks in office, the new CEO has moved very fast: in just two months she announced the next-generation console Project Helix, shelved the controversial "This is an Xbox" advertising campaign to put proprietary hardware back at the center, and remodulated the cost of Game Pass. The stated goal is to restore the foundations of the product, strengthen the presence on PC and make the brand the place where the whole world plays, hoping for a return to growth for the division as early as next year.
A hot topic that emerged from the interview is undoubtedly that related to Xbox Game Pass: the new strategy aims to fortify the service by making it economically sustainable and flexible for users' pockets. The recent price reduction is part of this perspective, flanked by the courageous decision to exclude new Call of Duty releases from the catalog at launch for a whole year. This move stems from careful analysis: the many subscribers attracted in 2024 by the release of Black Ops 6 have not remained loyal to the service in the long run, abandoning it shortly after trying the game. The company is therefore exploring new ways to continue to offer value, and among these is the recent leak of an unprecedented "Starter Edition" of the 50-game Game Pass offered bundled with Discord Nitro. Affordability, however, will not only concern software, but will embrace the entire ecosystem, with the promise of offering more affordable devices and services in the future to adapt to different global needs.
As for the current hardware, the recent physiological drops in sales have prompted the management to promise a vigorous "stabilization" of the ninth generation. Sharma confirmed the formation of a team dedicated exclusively to updating and improving the features, performance and reliability of the current Xbox Series consoles, with the intention of returning to offer a top-notch hardware experience to anyone who plays on these platforms. Looking to the future, Project Helix is described as an "open" system capable of running both console and PC games. Although portable devices born from partnerships such as the ROG Xbox Ally have already allowed us to easily access the PC stores to launch Steam versions of titles such as God of War, the CEO did not go into detail about the actual integration of third-party stores (such as the Epic Games Store) on the next home machine. However, he clarified that the platform will be open to allow creators and the community to customize and extend it freely.
On the video game front, Matt Booty emphasized the importance of strengthening the programming of the next five years with a solid and predictable cadence of releases and a quality aimed at excellence, aiming to create the perfect conditions to win the title of Game of the Year. The current line-up already enjoys excellent titles, as evidenced by the recent Peabody award won by South of Midnight, the release of Double Fine Kiln's multiplayer brawler, and the very high anticipation for the arrival of Halo: Campaign Evolved. The portfolio managed by the management is immense and ranges from Halo and Call of Duty to Candy Crush, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Fallout and Forza. The real challenge, in an industry under stress and affected by continuous cuts and studio closures, is to fully understand fans and the evolution of habits. On the one hand, we will have to be able to face extremely demanding and hardcore titles, but at the same time the team will make sure to develop highly accessible experiences, in which we will be able to have fun without barriers, welcoming even those approaching these worlds for the first time.
Finally, a mention of the elephant in the room could not be missing: the topic of exclusives, concerning the possible publication of major exclusive franchises on rival platforms. In the programmatic manifesto, a total re-evaluation of these approaches was mentioned, but Sharma clarified to Totilo that at the moment no final decision has been made regarding exclusives. Since these are choices destined to have an impact lasting decades, the company will adopt a method based entirely on analytical data and strategy, carefully evaluating its core principles without any rush to announce news. The primary goal, the CEO concluded, is not to make the fastest decision, but the absolutely right one to ensure a solid and lasting future for the entire Xbox ecosystem.
That's all for now, and we'll probably know more about Xbox's new course at the Showcase announced for June 7th. Stay tuned!
