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

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer Reflects on Past Mistakes and Future Plans

In a recent interview at PAX West 2024, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer candidly discussed past decisions, acknowledging some significant missed opportunities. He identified the loss of the Destiny and Guitar Hero franchises as among the worst choices of his tenure.

Despite his early involvement with Bungie (the creators of Destiny), Spencer admitted that the game's initial concept didn't resonate with him. It wasn't until the House of Wolves expansion that he fully appreciated its potential. Similarly, he expressed initial skepticism about Guitar Hero when it was first pitched.

While acknowledging these regrets, Spencer emphasized his forward-looking approach, focusing on current and future projects. One notable upcoming title is Dune: Awakening, an action RPG developed by Funcom, slated for release on Xbox Series S, PC, and PS5.

However, Funcom's Chief Product Officer, Scott Junior, revealed challenges in optimizing Dune: Awakening for the Xbox Series S, leading to a PC-first release strategy. Despite this, Junior confirmed the game will perform well even on older hardware.

Meanwhile, the indie title Entoria: The Last Song has experienced delays on Xbox due to a lack of communication and response from Microsoft, according to Jyamma Games. The game's Xbox release remains uncertain, while the PS5 and PC versions are proceeding as planned. Jyamma Games CEO Jacky Greco expressed significant frustration over the situation.

This situation highlights the complexities faced by both large and small developers in navigating the Xbox ecosystem. While Xbox looks toward the future with ambitious titles, challenges remain in ensuring smooth releases across all platforms.