•Ashwini Sharma, who leads Xbox’s first-party studios and games, has reportedly told employees that the division must pursue original intellectual property rather than relying on its established brands. According to a report by Windows Central, which says it reviewed transcripts of a company-wide town hall meeting held last week, Sharma said: “We will not survive if we only revive on the past.”
The comments came as Xbox outlined plans to organise itself around its largest gaming franchises and announced further details about Project Helix, its next-generation console. Reflecting on what she described as a period of “return to growth” following “an all-time low,” Sharma said: “We’re backing our strongest franchises.”
“I want our great games to become great global billion-dollar franchises. I would also like to see us continue to create enduring new IP. We will not survive if we only revive on the past. We have to find new ways, and courage, to have invention on new IP, that reaches new sets of audiences.”
Ashwini Sharma
Windows Central said it had asked Microsoft to verify that the town hall meeting took place and whether the transcripts were accurate.
The stated ambition appears to sit uneasily against recent moves at Xbox. The division has parted ways with studios including Double Fine and Compulsion, and reportedly Arkane—studios known for original titles such as South of Midnight and Deathloop. Obsidian is also working on a Fallout game under Bethesda. Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed it intends to make further cuts across its Xbox division.
A review of Xbox’s upcoming lineup suggests few candidates in the “big new idea” category, with InXile’s Clockwork Revolution cited as one of only two Xbox exclusives that might qualify. The studio behind the other exclusive, Gears of War: E-Day, has expressed concern about its future despite the game appearing to succeed commercially.
Dom reviewed Gears of War: E-Day recently and generally enjoyed it. “Though there’s still plenty of waist-high cover, ebb-and-flow firefighting, and braindead machismo, Gears E-Day proves that looking back can, indeed, help you look forward, too,” Dom wrote.
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