Phil Spencer Admits "Bad Choices" in Xbox Franchise Management

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reflects on past strategic missteps and acknowledges significant missed opportunities within the dynamic gaming industry. This article delves into his candid assessment of past decisions, highlighting upcoming Xbox titles and the challenges they face.

Missed Opportunities: Destiny and Guitar Hero

During a PAX West 2024 interview, Spencer discussed key franchises that eluded Xbox, including Destiny and Guitar Hero. He openly admitted these decisions rank among his career's "worst." While acknowledging his close relationship with Bungie during his early Xbox tenure, Spencer revealed that Destiny's initial appeal eluded him, only appreciating its potential with the "House of Wolves" expansion. Similarly, he expressed initial doubt about Guitar Hero's market viability.

Dune: Awakening Faces Xbox Release Challenges

Despite past regrets, Spencer maintains a forward-looking perspective. Xbox continues to pursue major franchises, including Dune: Awakening from Funcom. While planned for Xbox Series S alongside PC and PS5, Funcom's chief product officer, Scott Junior, acknowledged optimization challenges for the Series S. However, he reassured gamers that the game will perform well even on older hardware.

Enotria: The Last Song Encounters Xbox Release Delays

Indie developer Jyamma Games' Enotria: The Last Song faced unexpected delays on Xbox due to a lack of communication and response from Microsoft regarding the game's submission, despite the game being reportedly ready for release on both Series X and S. This has resulted in a PlayStation 5 and PC-only launch for now, leaving the Xbox release uncertain. Jyamma Games CEO Jacky Greco expressed significant frustration with the situation on the game's Discord server and in interviews.