•Xbox president and CEO Asha Sharma has restated Microsoft’s gaming strategy, saying the company will keep backing its biggest franchises while pushing studios to develop new intellectual property. According to a report by Darryn Bonthuys for GameSpot, Sharma argued that relying only on established series is not enough for Xbox’s long-term survival.
“We’re backing our strongest franchises. I want our great games to become great global billion-dollar franchises,” Sharma said at a town hall meeting shared with Windows Central. “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.”
This year has centered on several of Xbox’s largest franchises—Forza Horizon, Halo, and Gears of War—with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 set to launch later this month. Next year will bring a new Fable game and InXile Entertainment’s Clockwork Revolution, while Xbox says it has secured deals with Hideo Kojima for his next two projects, OD and Physint.
The push for original content comes even as Xbox has parted ways with several studios known for distinctive games. Compulsion Spiele, Undead Labs, and Double Fine all built legacies on unusual, story-rich titles. While some were not major commercial successes, they helped position Xbox as a destination for unique experiences.
Triple-A games are increasingly expensive and time-consuming to produce. Blizzard’s upcoming titles, such as StarCraft and Diablo 5, remain several years away, leaving smaller releases between major launches as a way to keep players engaged. Call of Duty stands apart, with Activision investing in a multi-studio system to deliver a new entry each year.
The broader gaming industry also faces threats beyond the need for fresh IP. Established live-service games regularly draw player time and spending, making it harder for new titles to gain traction, while heavy investment in AI has pushed up component costs and made consoles and PCs more expensive than ever. Recently, people have used AI to rebuild games from scratch and make them playable in web browsers, an accomplishment considered unlikely just a few years ago.
Xbox faces what could be a difficult road ahead as it pursues its goal of entertaining 1 billion people every day.
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