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[ShaiKhulud1989]

Phil is to xbox as jim is to playstation

You mean making a shitton of money, calibrating steady release schedule and selling 25m units in a single FY after building the Europe dominion for a brand? Phil that ain't.

Jimbo is not your friend (and he's pretty upfront about this), but god, every other business would've kill for an experienced leader like him.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Phil is to xbox as jim is to playstation
How does that NOT make sense?

Jim is experiencing best performance ever… Phil, not so much.

These are not even similar in scale

 

[Badlucktroll]

While he’s at it, why not go ahead and buy Fortnite too

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Yes and so are his sycophants. If him and his team were so great you wouldn’t have to be putting Starfield on so much pressure to deliver.

Ryan McCaffreys defence of him a few months ago was ridiculous “but he plays games. He’s a gamer”

I know I’m clearly in a minority of Xbox guys who feel this way , I’m just sick of it to be honest. The brand can be doing so much better than it is and seeing him praised whilst some of the same people complain in a underhanded way about things not being so great , just be honest ffs.

 

[Kacho]

I really doesn't matter. He will be replaced with someone just as bad or worse.

 

[Dick Jones]

I really doesn't matter. He will be replaced with someone just as bad or worse.

So Aaron Greenberg has a shot?

 

[T4keD0wN]

He is a CEO, his job is to exploit consumers.

He is good for the brand, but bad for the gamers, industry and the workers.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

No more than any other sweaty CEO is. Sometimes I think some of you dudes spend too much time online and over-analyze things.

 

[Knightime_X]

"Compared to who?
Jim?
Most definitely not."

Besides releasing consoles that mop the floor with Xbox , how is Jim Ryan actively hurting it? Or, was that the point?

I've seen people beg for Jim to leave ps.
Then there are brand loyalist who will obey his every command and defend his decisions.
Sweep it under the rug. Nothing to see here.

But we're not going to dip into that any further.

Phil on the other hand.
Any news is hyperbole into bad news with a circle jerk cult hyping it.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Like would you rather have Spencer running xbox, even with how much of a clusterfuck this past year has been ... or would you rather have someone like Bob Kottick?

Bobby Kottick. He'd do much better than Phil.

 

[Zok310]

I don't know about that, since he has a cult personality around him. But his replacement is probably Sarah Bond and I doubt she'll be better

Sarah will get ate alive as the top dog of xbox.

 

[danklord]

Absolutely. He is completely out of touch with audiences and has delivered nothing but L's since he started. The Xbox brand has severely deteriorated since 2014, and if it was gone it would not be a loss for gaming.

 

[adamsapple]

No.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Jim is experiencing best performance ever… Phil, not so much.

These are not even similar in scale

One dude has his brand up in unit sales YoY every month by a magnitude.

Other has his brand down every month YoY like it's been 7 years on the market and we are not even a full 3 years yet.

Math checks out.

 

[buenoblue]

I do have Maybe that is the problem. I've had it from day one and it's the best xbox console. There is plenty of great games as well.

I do have a gaming PC where I can play. And a PS5.

 

[Kacho]

Sarah will get ate alive as the top dog of xbox.

Yep. If people think Phil is out of touch wait for Sarah to take over.

 

[devilNprada]

I really doesn't matter. He will be replaced with someone just as bad or worse.

Maybe someone not so brash though? I think that rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

 

[FingerBang]

I think what MS has been doing in buying publishers is disgusting but overall the Xbox brand is probably the strongest it's ever been. The emails just show again Phil is not a guy just like us, but a corpo guy through and through. And if you're blind or love Playstation too much to see that Jimbo is the same, it's on you.

I vote no

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I've seen people beg for Jim to leave ps.
Then there are brand loyalist who will obey his every command and defend his decisions.
Sweep it under the rug. Nothing to see here.

But we're not going to dip into that any further.

Phil on the other hand.
Any news is hyperbole into bad news with a circle jerk cult hyping it.

In other words, let's be mad at Jim and Phil equally?

 

[Trekinspace88]

I never liked Phil Spencer every time i see him on screen he comes off as just a PR guy/some guy who doesn't understand gaming/gamers or the industry itself.

Same for Jim Ryan too he comes off as a guy who doesn't understand games/gamers too and i wish both guys would step down so we can get actual people who are passionate and care about the future of gaming.

 

[Zok310]

Phil is to xbox as jim is to playstation
How does that NOT make sense?

Jim made PlayStation, an already successful and popular brand even more successful and popular. Phil have done non of this.

 

[FoxMcChief]

People have no idea who Phil Spencer is so I vote no.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

but overall the Xbox brand is probably the strongest it's ever been.

Xbox Series is tracking behind Xbox One, which is considered a failure. Gamepass numbers are static for two years.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Phil doesn't deserve all the blame, MS has been rotten for awhile.
This is basically everything Donny Mac got blamed for. Who also shouldn't get all the blame.
All thats missing is using kinect to sell our reactions to advertisements. Maybe that's coming back soon!

 

[buenoblue]

Game Pass is a good value and I don't give a shit about a "brand"

It's like caring if the steam brand turns to shit or whatever. There is nothing that makes me watery-eyed thinking about my time with Xbox, PlayStation, or whatever plastic heap of shit my games run from.

I kind of get what your saying but the amount of time and money I invest in gaming it kinda is in my interest to care about where a brand is going. I've spent thousands of hours and pounds on gaming so it is important to me.

 

[Starhowl]

People have been requesting USB-audio support for years on the Xbox Insiders subreddit, yet no one ever listens - that's something that's gradually frustrating me!

It's on every other platform, like PlayStation or Nintendo Switch and doesn't even cost much money. Yet here we go another multi-billion dollar acquisition is coming, which is more doable..

 

[Del_X]

I kind of get what your saying but the amount of time and money I invest in gaming it kinda is in my interest to care about where a brand is going. I've spent thousands of hours and pounds on gaming so it is important to me.

As long as I can play the game, I see it as a sunk cost.

 

[Gaiff]

I was somewhat for the Bethesda acquisition because i had hoped that MS would throw money at them and help them realize their full potential. Instead, they bungled up redfall and simply couldnt see the glaring flaws in Starfield's design. It's good that they delayed the game by a year, but these design flaws shouldve been apparent back in 2020 exactly 3 years ago, but Phil and the team he's surrounded himself with are not the people who can identify these flaws.

Not sure if that's fair. Bethesda is one of the most successful studios of the past 15 years and are older than the Xbox brand itself. Nobody makes games quite like they do so I think the approach of letting them do their own thing was the correct one. The shortcomings of Starfield rests solely on Todd Howard and Bethesda. It's not like Phil could have sent anyone with better game design chops and tell them, "This is how you do it." Starfield was well on its way when Microsoft acquired Bethesda and they correctly figured that they shouldn't interfere with the cohesion of a veteran and incredibly successful dev team.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Outside of the message board bubble, nobody cares.

 

[StealthGoblin]

For me, yes. Every time I see a thread about one of his divine utterances I now automatically think of what lies he has told. I wouldn't trust him to even tell me what I had for breakfast at this point.

 

[nowhat]

I'm in the "don't care" camp, I just wish he'd drop the kumbaya shit. It's annoying and not believable to anyone with half a brain.

 

[buenoblue]

My main problem with Phil is he just doesn't seem concerned about delivering top quality games. Never said it publicly or in these emails. Just let's studios put out shitty games. He is constantly thinking about the next acquisition and service but doesn't take stock of what studios he has. He needs to just put his foot down and be a disciplinarian.

 

[Elysium44]

I have a Series console and I realised this year that I am so tired of the endless bullshit coming from Spencer and others in the Xbox division that I am really opposed to buying anything else on the platform. I would feel bad that I'm rewarding a charlatan who only cosplays as a gamer but in reality wants to harm the hobby we all love.

 

[Kacho]

Maybe someone not so brash though? I think that rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

It still doesn't solve the real problem. Microsoft has a serious cultural issue internally, so no matter who you replace him with the result will likely be the same, if not worse.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Not sure if that's fair. Bethesda is one of the most successful studios of the past 15 years and are older than the Xbox brand itself. Nobody makes games quite like they do so I think the approach of letting them do their own thing was the correct one. The shortcomings of Starfield rests solely on Todd Howard and Bethesda. It's not like Phil could have sent anyone with better game design chops and tell them, "This is how you do it." Starfield was well on its way when Microsoft acquired Bethesda and they correctly figured that they shouldn't interfere with the cohesion of a veteran and incredibly successful dev team.

I actually agree with this. If this was Bethesda's only goof/semi-goof (Starfield is not much worse than this), we could put more blame on Microsoft. After Fallout 76 though, it seems like they've lost their way a bit.

They'll have another crack at Starfield with a sequel (and they should), but hopefully they listen to the sincere criticisms of it and apply accordingly with Elder Scrolls VI.

 

[Knightime_X]

In other words, let's be mad at Jim and Phil equally?

....kind of?
I'm not opposed to that.
Heh

 

[Elysium44]

My main problem with Phil is he just doesn't seem concerned about delivering top quality games. Never said it publicly or in these emails. Just let's studios put out shitty games. He is constantly thinking about the next acquisition and service but doesn't take stock of what studios he has. He needs to just put his foot down and be a disciplinarian.

I am not even sure he knows what a good or bad game is, when he sees it. Reading the emails he seems to fundamentally lack understanding of the industry he's supposedly a leader in. He's badly out of his depth and Microsoft's leadership are surely foolish to let the situation continue. (Trouble is they'd probably replace him with some other no-hoper like Sarah Bond to tick the right boxes, rather than getting someone in who truly knows what they're doing.)

 

[fart town usa]

Xbox is, and has been, a complete embarrassment. Maybe it stems from Phil.

I think it's just MS as a whole though. Truly awful company. I was open to getting a Series S/X at some point but not now. I can already play PSO on my OG Xbox and that's all I need really.

 

[Hugare]

Dude bet on the wrong horse with Game Pass, clearly.

But he will die on that hill. If he is going to take Xbox with him? Unsure

I honestly think that the damage GP will do to Xbox will be irreversible

They have studios now, so they could just make great games and sell consoles like Sony and Nintendo. But they are more focused in cloud and Game Pass instead of consoles.

They were already doing great during the 360 era. It's like they just forgot that Xbox/360 existed.

 

[H-I-M]

FIRE that clown already.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

I've had [a series x] from day one and it's the best xbox console. There is plenty of great games as well.

it's ok, he cant hurt you anymore

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Xbox Series is tracking behind Xbox One, which is considered a failure. Gamepass numbers are static for two years.

That's only a couple metrics, though. Console sales and Game Pass subs aren't the entire story. Isn't revenue up a lot? Xbox sells well on Steam and their GaaS games do pretty well. Game Pass should start growing again with a steady stream of games. I imagine Starfield already gave it a boost.

 

[Celcius]

It's time for new blood. Phil had his chance.

 

[ungalo]

He wants to give Xbox less space in the Microsoft strategy so i think yeah objectively he hurts Xbox, on purpose.

But even in the traditional aspects of the gaming business, i think he failed a lot and hurt Xbox.

I have nothing against him though, general dynamics are also at play. Playstation brand was always stronger and Sony didn't make impactful mistakes during the PS4 gen, it's harder when you're in last place. The only thing they gained from it was the ability to transition to Gamepass model more quickly and efficiently without major drawback at first.

 

[dem]

He should have been axed a long time ago. He's not good at his job. His teams can't deliver games.

He had one good idea. Game Pass. We'll see how long he gets to coast on it.



Bobby Kotick should be running Xbox.

 

[diffusionx]

I've seen people beg for Jim to leave ps.
Then there are brand loyalist who will obey his every command and defend his decisions.
Sweep it under the rug. Nothing to see here.

But we're not going to dip into that any further.

Phil on the other hand.
Any news is hyperbole into bad news with a circle jerk cult hyping it.

Well you need some standard to analyze the direction these people are taking. Even if I don't like a lot of what Jim does, PlayStation has become a bigger, stronger, more far-ranging brand on his watch (the TV strategy, despite my skepticism, has been successful), and PS5 is extremely successful through a really difficult period. They also remain one of the few companies that can consistently deliver these massive AAA, $200+ million products.

Phil has been in charge of Xbox for a while. His main strategy is Game Pass and these massive acquisitions to feed into GP, as well as Xbox Series. I don't see any evidence that MS can manage their studios and their games effectively - see 343, they flushed one of the biggest brands in entertainment down the drain. Redfall sucked and Phil seemed genuinely surprised it did. Starfield was overhyped and under-delivered. Xbox sales are falling year over year. Game Pass growth is underwhelming at this point. So, just judging these guys by their own strategies, taking emotion of this or that decision, you can see why Jim is successful and Phil is not.

 

[scarlet0pimp]

Maybe you should get a series console and see what your missing before making judgment. The S or X will be fine both excellent consoles in my opinion.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

He's been the CEO for about 10 years, Gamepass is like 6 or 7 years old at this point and the brand is nowhere near better than it was before. I'd say yes...

 

[Nankatsu]

Yes. And any developer who jumps in bed with Xbox brand will get contaminated in association.

Say what you want, but the difference between when Sony buys a studio, and Xbox buys a studio, for what follows next, is like night and day.

Xbox simply manages their acquisitions horribly.

 

[Roberts]

Do you think its better then the Xbox 360?

I fully moved away from PC gaming to consoles during the ps360 period for reasons not related to the topic and to be honest I don't have any real nostalgic memories about it. Just a box under my TV that I played 7-8 games per year on it. Now, with XSX is different. After selling Ps5 that is my only console now and even though I barely have any free time, I'm more passionate about gaming than I ever was thanks to discoveries I found on Game Pass. I also love silly stuff like Quick Resume, Fps boost, auto-HDR and so on. I wish they didn't drop the plan of res upscaling xbox one era games and it's a bummer BC updates stopped coming.

That was launched without a launch lineup of games and running multiplats worse than PS5? Hard Pass, the first half of 360 was objectively better.

That's why it's great to have a choice.