One of the hallmarks of Phil Spencer’s leadership, just before his departure, was the end of platform exclusivity by bringing first-party titles to rival platforms. To explain that decision, he commissioned the “This is an Xbox” campaign.
The campaign tried to sell Xbox, not as a dedicated box but as a service that can be accessed through any electronic device with an internet connection. However, when the executives described the next console generation as a technological leap, it contradicted the “This is an Xbox” campaign.
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The first thing that the new CEO, Asha Sharma, did was to end the This is an Xbox campaign. Eventually, all the websites dedicated to the promotion of the campaign were shut down. According to Jez Corden of Windows Central, Microsoft has now replied to their request for comment on This is an Xbox campaign.
“Asha retired ‘This is an Xbox’ because it didn’t feel like Xbox,” said a Microsoft spokesperson. “She is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand.”
The new CEO has stressed a return to Xbox in recent interviews and an internal memo sent to staff. However, what that would likely look like will start unveiling in the coming years.
Corden also mentioned that since coming on board, Sharma has been reducing bottlenecks around approvals and reacting more quickly to feedback, citing comments from internal teams.
Since becoming the CEO of Xbox, Sharma has also revealed project Helix, the next Xbox generation. The upcoming console is going to be more PC-like, with access to multiple storefronts, including Epic Games Store, Steam, and others.
It will be interesting to see how the upcoming console will be marketed to users when it eventually launches, especially since it will be coming on the heels of the confusing This is an Xbox campaign.
Do you think Sharma did the right thing by ending the ‘This is an Xbox’ campaign? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
