Xbox Has Made the \"Worst Decisions\" with Big Franchises Says Phil Spencer

Phil Spencer Reflects on Xbox's Past Mistakes and Future Plans

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer recently shared his reflections on past decisions, admitting to some "worst game-choice decisions" in a candid interview at PAX West 2024. He specifically cited missing out on the Destiny and Guitar Hero franchises as significant regrets. While acknowledging his close ties to Bungie during Destiny's early development, he admitted the game's initial appeal eluded him, only appreciating its potential later. Similarly, he expressed initial skepticism towards Guitar Hero's concept.

Despite these setbacks, Spencer emphasized his forward-looking approach, prioritizing current and future projects. He highlighted Dune: Awakening, developed by Funcom, as an example of an upcoming Xbox title. However, Funcom's chief product officer, Scott Junior, revealed challenges in optimizing the game for the Xbox Series S, leading to a PC-first release strategy. Junior reassured fans, however, that the game will perform well even on older hardware.

Another title facing Xbox release complications is Entoria: The Last Song from Jyamma Games. Weeks before its planned September 19th launch, the game’s Xbox release has been delayed due to a lack of communication and response from Microsoft. Jyamma Games CEO Jacky Greco expressed significant frustration over this lack of responsiveness, highlighting the financial investment already made in porting the game to the Xbox platform. The game will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC, but its Xbox release remains uncertain. Greco's statements suggest a significant communication breakdown between the developer and Microsoft, leaving the Xbox community awaiting clarity on the situation. The situation underscores the challenges indie developers can face in navigating the complexities of releasing games on major consoles.