• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Xbox ‘is pushing Phil Spencer to line up a successor’

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Phil Spencer has been a Microsoft employee for over three decades, and the company’s executive vice president of gaming since 2017.

“Clearly, as somebody who has been here for 33 years, I have more years behind me than ahead of me,” he told GQ. “But the longevity of this team, the sustainability of this team, there’s nothing that’s more important to me right now than that.”

Commenting specifically on succession, Spencer added: “You should do it when you think about the long-term health of the team. To make sure the team is in a good place. That the culture of the company is in a good place. And that we’re making the right decisions on who to bet on. That has got to outlive me.”

Later in the piece, Spencer discussed how his team views the future and revealed how Xbox flags its plans with various ‘Horizons’ based on their proximity.

‘Horizon One’ plans are things that are happening today, he said. ‘Horizon Two’ are projects happening in a year or three, and Horizon Three are big ideas that might not happen for five, or even ten years.

Spencer said that Horizon Three projects are bets that “probably won’t work”, but are important to have a team working on to ensure innovation thrives in the future.

“What I’ve learned is it’s also very risky not to do [take a risk],” he said. “You have to plant those seeds today. Because they’re not just going to ‘happen’. And you’re not able to buy innovation easily.”
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
Star Wars No GIF
 

elliot5

Member
VGC's title is clickbait because nowhere in Spencer's comments say Xbox or MS at large is pushing Spencer to line up a successor... Phil is talking about himself wanting to make sure there's a plan or good transition in place for whenever that time may come. Not like he's being forced out or planning on retiring soon.
 
This cult of personality phenomena is fascinating to watch unfold.
Leadership always gets this tall poppy syndrome. I think you read too much into Phil being a self aware leader and planning for the future which leads to mistaking him as a megalomaniac or something. Also journalism sensationalise a bunch of this, read through it mate and probably a good idea to ignore titles of such articles before reading the content itself.
 

levyjl1988

Banned
As long as they don’t hire a business person like Don Mattrick, you don’t want a repeat person who doesn’t care about the company, make money and bails on it. That fucker ruined the Xbox brand and a bunch of briskness ass hats who have their heads up their asses, we need more people passionate about the games and the future of the industry. Gamers hate loot boxes and exploitative shit, leave greed to others and have them fail.
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Phil spencer and Jim Ryan are 53,

Being head of playstation/xbox must be a demanding job and both of them must be pretty rich, retirement or moving onto something different is certainly something that seems pretty par for the course.

Andrew house stepped down at 52 and Reggie left at 60.

Its seems a pretty high turnover position, a bit like a president of a country.

I wonder who will take the crown at both xbox and playstation?
Maybe booty? Todd howard?

On the sony side maybe herman?
 

TwiztidElf

Member
Succession planning is important.
After Mattrick, Microsoft clearly understand that they need someone who understands the industry.
I like Phil, but for me personally, I don't like the direction he's taken Xbox. But a lot of people do.
Honestly, I can't wait to see what he does after leaving Microsoft. I think it'll be fascinating. I doubt he'll disappear into the sunset. Gaming is too much in his blood.
 

Pull n Pray

Banned
He's only 53, and I can't imagine there is a job out there that he is better suited for. But maybe he wants to retire when he is 60 and just play video games full time.

Sarah Bond seems pretty sharp and also passionate about the hobby.
 

ManaByte

Member
VGC's title is clickbait because nowhere in Spencer's comments say Xbox or MS at large is pushing Spencer to line up a successor... Phil is talking about himself wanting to make sure there's a plan or good transition in place for whenever that time may come. Not like he's being forced out or planning on retiring soon.
This. The article doesn’t say that anywhere. It’s a lie.
 

MrFunSocks

Banned
He's only 53, and I can't imagine there is a job out there that he is better suited for. But maybe he wants to retire when he is 60 and just play video games full time.

Sarah Bond seems pretty sharp and also passionate about the hobby.
"Only 53". When you're that rich most people want to retire early. Hell I want to be retired by 50 and Phil is in another stratosphere in earnings to me.
 

Artistic

Member
Lol, well it isn't a bad line of thinking.

Got to keep up the momentum and all the goodwill he has done since taking the helms.
 

Shmunter

Member
We've got a topic on here about gamepass with dozens of people that claim to know more and be much, much, smarter than Phil Spencer. I'm sure they'll take their applications. Make sure to say just how much money game pass must be losing, really hammer it home to them.
🤔
 

TBiddy

Member
Is it just me that thinks Sarah Bond is incredibly... "stiff" on the stage? There's no charisma in her and everything she says and does feel very rehearsed.
 

Zeroing

Banned
He will never retire, he will run it for ever and they will change the brand Xbox to “phill Spencer box”

joking.
 
i don't think it means he's going any time soon. just looking at who could replace him. it would be incredibly irresponsible of MS to NOT look at this. Xbox is kicking ass right now and is doing really well. Phil has done an amazing job at Xbox so it does make sense they get the right person in to replace him whenever that time might come.
 

reksveks

Member
Is it just me that thinks Sarah Bond is incredibly... "stiff" on the stage? There's no charisma in her and everything she says and does feel very rehearsed.
Compared to Phil, yeah.
Compared to others, not really.

I do think she gets forced reading a script more often and is pretty good in interviews though.
 

Azurro

Banned
We've got a topic on here about gamepass with dozens of people that claim to know more and be much, much, smarter than Phil Spencer. I'm sure they'll take their applications. Make sure to say just how much money game pass must be losing, really hammer it home to them.

I'd love to be the successor of Phil Spencer, huge salary and a stress free job. ;)
 

mejin

Member
Maybe shareholders want his head. Of course, when MS announces he's stepping down from his position all the praises and respect are expected. maybe even documentary how he changed Xbox brand and other shit like that.

Is it just me that thinks Sarah Bond is incredibly... "stiff" on the stage? There's no charisma in her and everything she says and does feel very rehearsed.

this is all trained. Remember 2013 Phil? Derp as fuck.

Along the years the person will at least be more confortable with the new position.
 

JLB

Banned
This is something I was thinking during the last months.
He became Xbox boss when it was a sinking boat, selling 49k units per month on US, and the whole Mattrick debacle exploding right there. He basically saved Xbox.
Now Xbox is back in form, healthy and successful. And he is 53, so maybe he is looking for a last professional adventure before retirement.

edit: One more thing to expand on my last sentence.Theres definitely a big market for a senior VP as Spencer. I mean, the day Spencer steps down Xbox, he will have Apple and Amazon knocking his door the next day.
 
Last edited:

Godot25

Banned
Well. It's better that he choose his successor, who can drive his vision forward.
Otherwise you can end up with someone like Jim Ryan

...and you would not want to do that...
:messenger_winking:
 
Top Bottom