Chittagong
Gold Member
We need back our lord and saviour of gaming
Not joking
Not joking
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Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Phil Spencer is Retiring and Sara Bond is Out bot there's something really worst than that
Sorcerer
Member
I will give Shurma the fact that she comes across as incredibly nerdy and passionate about what she does.
Phil and Sara had the detached executive sense about them. It would be funny seeing her in the public relations aspect of promoting the Xbox brand at showcases and such.
I would like to think that she could bring that nerdiness to the games division and actually do something great.
But it's more than likely she is there to dismantle the division slowly over time with Nadella's blessing. She is probably his go to girl at the moment. Microsoft could pull the plug on everything tomorrow, but they like to disguise their failure.
Phil and Sara had the detached executive sense about them. It would be funny seeing her in the public relations aspect of promoting the Xbox brand at showcases and such.
I would like to think that she could bring that nerdiness to the games division and actually do something great.
But it's more than likely she is there to dismantle the division slowly over time with Nadella's blessing. She is probably his go to girl at the moment. Microsoft could pull the plug on everything tomorrow, but they like to disguise their failure.
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HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
I try to pick my wording carefully for the most part and a lot goes unnoticed, not all thoughI see what you did there…
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
TransTrender
Gold Member
Sounds like the typical messaging Xbox has been giving for the last decade.
None of the replies here were...useful...so I want to see what people were saying to the original post from last year. I too am curious to know how to supercharge my career path.
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
ChorizoPicozo
Member
OMG.
CLW
Member
Yeah black people will really advance their lives by refusing 7 figure salaries with golden parachutes stock options. Bond is and will continue to be just fine
Nonehxc
Member
Petition to Mods to change his tag to:
'Or is that Asha Warma in my throat?'
Unknown?
Member
Huh, seems like it wasn't planned?? Or maybe she just kept up the facade till it was official?
ChorizoPicozo
Member
nope. We need to remember who slept with Phil until the end of time.Petition to Mods to change his tag to:
'Or is that Asha Warma in my throat?'
hououinkyouma00
Member
mayham2199
Member
lol good luck forcing gta to do anything.
The Mad Draklor
Member
Lionel Richie
Member
ChorizoPicozo
Member
"I'll start gathering wood!"
Shadowstar39
Member
I really miss the days when Bill gates and Steve balmer were in charge and they had some young talent named Gabe Newell on the staff. Back in the DOS to windows 3 to 98 era.
Why did they give it to a foreign born dude named Nutella and his concubine Asha... I kid I kid, but come on such a strange time line.
jm89
Member
You got bigger worries Tobi.
Like if the new CEO cancels you precious magnus, and forces you to use cloud to access your library
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Plague Doctor
Member
Sooooo some people are really buying that Phil has been planning this retirement since the fall
.....with no transition phase in mind, nada...
....have it stealth announced on a Friday and then effective immediately on the following Monday.
Coincidentally enough, the heir apparent Bond resigns as well the same day, talking like she still wanted the job 3 hours earlier on social media
On an unrelated point, I now know why MLM and the African Prince email scams work so fucking well now.
.....with no transition phase in mind, nada...
....have it stealth announced on a Friday and then effective immediately on the following Monday.
Coincidentally enough, the heir apparent Bond resigns as well the same day, talking like she still wanted the job 3 hours earlier on social media
On an unrelated point, I now know why MLM and the African Prince email scams work so fucking well now.
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gokurho
Member
The future of Xbox appears ready to enter a bold new era defined by innovation, ecosystem expansion, and a thoughtful balance between technology and creativity. With Asha Sharma stepping in as CEO at just 36, Microsoft is signaling confidence in a new generation of leadership that understands how platforms, AI, and global consumer experiences intersect.
Sharma's background aligns closely with where gaming is headed. At Microsoft, she led major AI platform initiatives, helping build scalable systems designed for long-term growth. Prior to that, she held senior product and engineering roles at Meta, overseeing widely used global services where performance, engagement, and platform strategy were central priorities. As COO of Instacart, she managed complex operations and cross-functional execution at scale, sharpening her ability to align product vision with disciplined execution. This rare combination of AI fluency, operational leadership, and consumer product strategy positions her well for the structural shifts reshaping the gaming industry.
Gaming today is no longer defined solely by console cycles. It is about interconnected ecosystems spanning console, PC, cloud, and mobile, supported by subscription models, creator tools, and persistent communities. Sharma's career has focused on building and scaling exactly these kinds of ecosystems. If she can apply that expertise while preserving the creative autonomy of first-party studios and maintaining player trust, Xbox could strengthen its competitive position across every touchpoint.
Her appointment does not feel symbolic. It feels strategic. If innovation is paired with respect for the artistic core of gaming, Xbox's next chapter could be marked by sustainable growth, deeper community engagement, and a broader cultural impact.
Sharma's background aligns closely with where gaming is headed. At Microsoft, she led major AI platform initiatives, helping build scalable systems designed for long-term growth. Prior to that, she held senior product and engineering roles at Meta, overseeing widely used global services where performance, engagement, and platform strategy were central priorities. As COO of Instacart, she managed complex operations and cross-functional execution at scale, sharpening her ability to align product vision with disciplined execution. This rare combination of AI fluency, operational leadership, and consumer product strategy positions her well for the structural shifts reshaping the gaming industry.
Gaming today is no longer defined solely by console cycles. It is about interconnected ecosystems spanning console, PC, cloud, and mobile, supported by subscription models, creator tools, and persistent communities. Sharma's career has focused on building and scaling exactly these kinds of ecosystems. If she can apply that expertise while preserving the creative autonomy of first-party studios and maintaining player trust, Xbox could strengthen its competitive position across every touchpoint.
Her appointment does not feel symbolic. It feels strategic. If innovation is paired with respect for the artistic core of gaming, Xbox's next chapter could be marked by sustainable growth, deeper community engagement, and a broader cultural impact.
Knightime_X
Member
Press F to pay respect for Sony and MS.
hououinkyouma00
Member
Astray
Member
Did they even announce an interim Xbox chief?
Booty became content officer (basically extending his remit over things like films etc?)
Asha is now Microsoft Gaming CEO.
So who's taking over for Bond? There's a supposed new machine that's been taped out and whatever OS stuff they need to do to Xboxify Windows in preparation, who's gonna be the lead on those?
Cyberpunkd
Member
Stop posting AI slop.
Coconutt
Member
Truly this generations Kurt Cobain.
Topher
Identifies as young
Dude.....she said no "AI slop"
reinking
Gold Member
You got bigger worries Tobi.
Like if the new CEO cancels you precious magnus, and forces you to use cloud to access your library
T Tobimacoss is very pro cloud gaming.
saintjules
Gold Member
Guardian Monkey
Member
A far less optimistic interpretation of this leadership shift suggests that Xbox may be entering a period of uncertainty rather than renewal.
Framing this as a bold new era assumes that platform expertise automatically translates into creative leadership within gaming. It does not. Gaming is not simply another scalable consumer ecosystem. It is a volatile, hit-driven, culturally sensitive medium where creative risk and long development cycles define success. A résumé centered on AI infrastructure, marketplace optimization, and operational scale may be impressive, but those strengths do not inherently prepare someone to navigate the artistic and studio-driven dynamics that power premium game development.
There is also a legitimate concern that an AI-heavy background signals a strategic tilt toward monetization systems, engagement optimization, and data-driven design rather than breakthrough creativity. While AI can support development workflows, overemphasizing platform intelligence risks pushing Xbox further into service-layer abstraction such as subscriptions, cloud delivery, and predictive personalization at the expense of distinctive, must-play exclusives. Gaming history repeatedly shows that hardware ecosystems are anchored by compelling creative output, not backend sophistication.
The comparison to Meta and Instacart may also raise caution rather than confidence. Those environments prioritize growth metrics, engagement loops, and operational efficiency. In gaming, however, aggressive optimization can erode player trust if it manifests as excessive monetization, algorithmic manipulation, or diluted creative identity. The Xbox brand has already faced criticism over inconsistent first-party execution and an overreliance on acquisition strategy rather than organic creative leadership. Doubling down on platform logic without strengthening creative stewardship could widen that gap.
The idea that console cycles are no longer central can also be overstated. While ecosystems matter, flagship hardware and standout titles still shape brand perception. Without a steady pipeline of culturally defining games, ecosystem expansion becomes abstract. Cloud, PC, and subscription models are amplifiers, not substitutes, for compelling content.
Calling the appointment purely strategic may overlook the risks of cultural misalignment. Leading AI initiatives or operational marketplaces is fundamentally different from managing the creative tensions of game studios, where autonomy, morale, and long development periods require nuanced leadership. If platform integration efforts are perceived as intrusive or overly metrics-driven, top creative talent could disengage.
In short, this move may represent modernization, but modernization does not guarantee momentum. Without a clear and demonstrated commitment to creative excellence, not just ecosystem expansion, Xbox risks becoming more technologically sophisticated yet less culturally relevant. Innovation alone is not enough. In gaming, creative conviction ultimately determines who leads and who follows.
-brought to you by Ai as well
Topher
Identifies as young
It's damn near a cloud fetish
Astray
Member
From a few months ago, Jez dooming about what would happen if Phil/Sarah left.
Have mercy on him he's getting a performance review soon enough.
He has KPIs to hit.
Have mercy on him he's getting a performance review soon enough.
Dirk Benedict
Gold Member
Where should Xbox be at this point?
I called this shit out months ago; that they were winding down their hardware endeavors and going 3rd party with some hardware on the side.
It actually played out faster than the 3-5 year timeframe I gave Microsoft.
Magic-DEI-Hire
Member
Supposedly, Asha will be handling both.
Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
It's impossible to be worse than Phil SpendSir
Microsoft quite literally turned into a 3rd party publisher due to his immense, historical failures
They bought fucking Activision and still didn't move the needle at all. Just a completely irrelevant brand under SpendSirs watch.
She can't fail that bad. It's impossible. She will be better than him.
gametimedecision
Gold Member
Crazy how fast Jez fell in line. At this point they could announce that Magnus is canceled and we probably get a "cloud gaming's future is now" article within the hour.
Astray
Member
This is the most sensitive stage of making a new console (taking a concept from R&D to production), it makes absolutely no sense to change guard now.
I also don't think her taking two positions was announced.
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Topher
Identifies as young
Pasta la Vista
Member
I wouldn't be surprised if even Elder Scrolls 6 even gets cancelled at this point.
Dirk Benedict
Gold Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
JimmyRustler
Member
Thanks for all the promises I guess, Phil.
Biggest fluke gaming head in history. All talk, no results.
Biggest fluke gaming head in history. All talk, no results.
Magic-DEI-Hire
Member
It wasn't, which is why I don't see this announcement being a positive one.
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