Akuji
Member
The better Hardware?!
What
Why the hate for Phil Spencer?
- Thread starter Joel Was Right
- Start date
What
VAVA Mk2
Member
Both suck
clappedcheeks
Member
It's so ironic that Phil and his underlings started popping champagne corks when Jimmy got promoted. The guy is so slimy with his "I'm one of you gaming kids" fake persona. The lies of P are mounting up and I'm sure he'll have a few corkers in the upcoming years.
He hasn't been a positive influence on the Xbox brand no matter how much the suck ups want to pretend otherwise. It's also weird to hero worship a corporate douchebag. Do people do this in their own line of work? It's gross.
Jinzo Prime
Gold Member
But the common denominator with all these games is Microsoft. It cannot be coincidence that all these games failed under Phil's leadership and it have nothing to do with him.
Something is deeply broken at Microsoft Gaming, and it has been since Peter Moore left.
Ev1L AuRoN
Member
There are several reasons I dislike Phil Spencer's leadership as a consumer:
- Game Pass giving away day-one releases – It devalues their first party games and raises questions about long-term sustainability for quality titles.
- Lies and contradictions – The messaging from Xbox leadership has often been inconsistent or misleading.
- The Bethesda acquisition – A power move that hasn't resulted in better output; most games feel rushed or mismanaged.
- The ABK buyout – It wasn't about vision, it was about domination. It accelerated the brand's downfall and ironically made Xbox more dependent on its competition to stay financially viable and sustain Game Pass.
- Releasing Xbox titles on PlayStation – It blurs platform identity and weakens the reason to stay in the Xbox ecosystem.
onnextflix5
Member
If gamepass was a compelling product its growth would have not flatlined for the last 2-3 years
Audiophile
Member
He's the only top exec they've ever had that didn't come off as some fake corporate construction. The mannerisms and the way they all talk is unnerving. Mattrick, Spencer, Bond etc. they all have really off-putting gestures and an odd cadence to the way they talk that doesn't seem genuine.
Signalis
Member
simpatico
Member
Do we have any proof that C-Suite level people even have the ability to identify a good game at any time in the industry? I think the past couple years have taught us those people rely on luck for knowing what will be a hit or not. Hell, just aligning the good studios with good budgets like they did at T minus 6 months was already above average from what I can tell. They just hit an absolutely legendary streak of bad luck with their employees not delivering.
simpatico
Member
Ubisoft hit the exact same same streak though. Starting around Watch Dogs Legion, they haven't released a good game. I wish it was contained to Microsoft. Hell Sony isn't far from that boat. If Japan hadn't bailed them out with Astro Bot you could lump them into the same list. Square is knocking on that door as well. Going forward without FFVII nostalgia goggles to partially bail them out, things look rough. Would you invest in current day Square?
Ar¢tos
Member
When it's convenient "Phil is a gamer like us!", when it's not convenient then "Phil is just a suit, he knows nothing about gaming!"
Matsuchezz
Member
He is a fucking liar, he has been caught lying nonstop, they have thrown around shit terms like the most transparent and honest company, and he has terrible taste on games that he greenlits. I dont hate the guy, i just dislike him a lot and MS policies suck and their software suck.
Knucklepux
Member
Imagine this…
You get hired for a job. To help correct issues from the past employee…
10 years later, you've arguably done a worst job then the predecessor and still think that saying "well my predecessor from 10 YEARS AGO caused this"
Phil is trash. It's not about Xbox. It's about Microsoft. Phil serves Microsoft and hasn't done shit. They're in this predicament now because of Phil's shitty decisions to push no exclusives worth a damn, can't name a console to save their life, and launched the Series S.
Xbox is dead. You can say that before it was ALMOST dead, but now it is
You get hired for a job. To help correct issues from the past employee…
10 years later, you've arguably done a worst job then the predecessor and still think that saying "well my predecessor from 10 YEARS AGO caused this"
Phil is trash. It's not about Xbox. It's about Microsoft. Phil serves Microsoft and hasn't done shit. They're in this predicament now because of Phil's shitty decisions to push no exclusives worth a damn, can't name a console to save their life, and launched the Series S.
Xbox is dead. You can say that before it was ALMOST dead, but now it is
clappedcheeks
Member
More like Satya has given him the rope he asked for. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Satya want to shutter Xbox but good old boy Phil convinced him otherwise?
simpatico
Member
Not at all. The only point I'll stand on, is that leading up to the hardware launch, no one on GAF would have had much problem with what they had cooking. In the gaming armchair pundit world, it looked good on paper.
When it's convenient "Phil is a gamer like us!", when it's not convenient then "Phil is just a suit, he knows nothing about gaming!"
clappedcheeks
Member
It's like they're all grown in a lab or something. Timmy appleboy is exactly the same.
clappedcheeks
Member
Maybe they are just an extension of Microsofts AI experiment.
digoutyoursoul
Member
Baiting trash
PeteBull
Member
Phil was on Mattricks team, lets not forget of his career in MS:
Phil Spencer
Phil Spencer is the Head of Xbox at Microsoft Corp., serving a role that unites the Xbox and Xbox Live development teams with the Microsoft Studios team.
He wasnt the opposition to what mattrick/kinect team did, he was a fricken follow up to that stupid strategy.
I tell u guys once Peter Moore was gone from xbox everything went downhill.
KenaiPhoenix
Member
I like Phil, he saved what could be a dumpster fire and one of the worst console of all time: the Xbox One, I know, it wasnt great, but the damage was done and it could have been way, way worse.
I really think he got caught with the bigger suits from above knowing shit about games but well versed in business, and their diverse hires that also dont know nothing and followed the bigger suits.
"We want a new AI! lets use Cortana is a popular name. Phil, order 343 to kill her",
"Welp, that didnt work... but you know what did work? Windows 10! Phil, from now on everything will be also on Windows 10. Did you see how Steam made morbillion dollars? We can have that too if we release all games on our own store!"
"Welp, that also didnt work. But you know what works now? Netflix! Phil, we want somewhat streaming/rent service just like our office 365 and Netflix. buy whatever you need and make users pay a subscription. They are future!",
"Welp, that wasnt sustainable... how could we know? Phil, your division is having loses. Cut them"
I really think he got caught with the bigger suits from above knowing shit about games but well versed in business, and their diverse hires that also dont know nothing and followed the bigger suits.
"We want a new AI! lets use Cortana is a popular name. Phil, order 343 to kill her",
"Welp, that didnt work... but you know what did work? Windows 10! Phil, from now on everything will be also on Windows 10. Did you see how Steam made morbillion dollars? We can have that too if we release all games on our own store!"
"Welp, that also didnt work. But you know what works now? Netflix! Phil, we want somewhat streaming/rent service just like our office 365 and Netflix. buy whatever you need and make users pay a subscription. They are future!",
"Welp, that wasnt sustainable... how could we know? Phil, your division is having loses. Cut them"
Phil is a liar who killed Xbox. I know people point to E3 2013, but I do believe they could have recovered from that. There's just been too many missteps since then and that's basically all on Phil. How many times did he come out and say some variation of "We hear you, and we have to do better. Next year is going to be a great year for us."
How many times??? It's insane how often he said that. Only to deliver nothing year after year after year.
It's funny, Microsoft actually finally came up with games the last few years to try and build up the Xbox Ecosystem with:
I know many of these games are busts, not great or flat out trash. But at least, finally, after a decade they finally started coming out with the games they promised when Spencer took over. But it took too long. And when they finally did start delivering, a lot of it was trash or people just didn't care because they'd been conditioned to not buy games because of Gamepass or the games were bad. That's on ten years of Phil.
And in addition to that, don't forget Gamepass. They banked on Gamepass being their silver bullet but it wasn't.
It's lie after lie after lie from Phil.
How many times??? It's insane how often he said that. Only to deliver nothing year after year after year.
It's funny, Microsoft actually finally came up with games the last few years to try and build up the Xbox Ecosystem with:
- Indiana Jones
- Starfield
- Halo Infinite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Pentiment
- Hi Fi Rush
- South of Midnight
- Hellblade II
- Avowed
- Redfall
I know many of these games are busts, not great or flat out trash. But at least, finally, after a decade they finally started coming out with the games they promised when Spencer took over. But it took too long. And when they finally did start delivering, a lot of it was trash or people just didn't care because they'd been conditioned to not buy games because of Gamepass or the games were bad. That's on ten years of Phil.
And in addition to that, don't forget Gamepass. They banked on Gamepass being their silver bullet but it wasn't.
It's lie after lie after lie from Phil.
Spitfire098
Member
What's with the fellatio of phil spencer.
Xbox 360 slim
Member
Peter Moore and Kaz Hirai, legends
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SamuraiEdge
Member
Peter Moore was the best looking back. What a fucking bloke who did a good job with the 360 and all that energy. Never will get a trooper like that again. Guy was a legend.
Topher
Identifies as young
Yep. In a nutshell, that pretty much explains a lot of the dislike for Phil Spencer. Of course, it goes back years before any of that. Everyone remembers how he got on his soapbox about PlayStation buying exclusivity and then buys timed exclusivity for Rise of the Tomb Raider. He has always acted like he is above doing the very shit he does.
You say this like it's a good thing lol. If they had shut the shit down after X1 we'd have lost far less than we have now.
Xbox 360 slim
Member
Remember when he advocated for cross platform bans? And Said Xbox live was not a free speech platform?
RickMasters
Member
This. He proved to be the wrong man for the job but on the other hand…… High up enough at MS, they really don't give a shit about gaming. Xbox was always this thing that was fighting to simply exist at MS. All these years of growth and m even getting into making hardware only to still behave like just the ' windows company'
We don't know what goes on in the meeting but we can assume they don't want to be number one at anything other than PC OS.
Topher
Identifies as young
Yeah, I do recall something about that. Dude has a long laundry list of shit over the years. Some folks just have bad memories I guess.
Ge Os
Member
I'm not by any means an Xbox hater, I just don't like Phil and his "philosophy". The way he does things is so shitty you just gotta hate the guy.
I would totally love to see Xbox players get better games from the studios they own, cause as of right now, only a handful of releases is not enough to justify the expense.
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.001
Kevin butler was successful for ps3, Phil Spencer is very different.
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
Yeah, I meant XSX vs PS5 and Switch 2.
Signalis
Member
Using AI is the modern day moron test. You passedChatGPT organised some of the highlights for me
Personally I find him a bit of a weasel who speaks with both sides of his mouth.
Hardware & Platform Failures
1.
Xbox One Generation Laggard (Inherited but Continued)
- Xbox One was already in a weak position in 2014, but despite efforts, it never recovered market share from the PS4.
- Spencer improved things, but Xbox One sales remained well behind competitors throughout the generation.
2.
Xbox Series X/S Shortages and Identity Crisis
- Series X/S launched in 2020, but due to chip shortages, availability was limited for a long time.
- The Series S (cheaper model) caused some confusion among consumers, and its weaker specs have caused bottlenecks in game development.
Software & Game Development Stumbles
3.
Halo Infinite's Troubled Development and Launch (2021)
- Multiple delays, missing features (co-op campaign, Forge), and inconsistent direction.
- Launched with good core gameplay but lacked content and polish expected from a flagship title.
4.
Redfall (2023)
- One of the most heavily criticized releases in Xbox history.
- Poor visuals, bugs, lackluster gameplay, and broken multiplayer at launch.
- Spencer publicly took responsibility in interviews: "We let people down."
5.
Lack of First-Party Hits (Pre-2023)
- For years, Xbox lagged behind PlayStation and Nintendo in terms of exclusive game quality and impact.
- Games were often delayed or canceled, and there was a perceived "games drought."
Studio Management Issues
6.
Closure of Studios (2024)
- Despite aggressive acquisitions, Xbox shut down several studios, including:
- Arkane Austin (Redfall)
- Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush, a critically acclaimed title)
- Alpha Dog Games and others
- Hi-Fi Rush had positive reception, so its closure sparked major backlash.
- This created confusion about Xbox's actual strategy regarding creativity and investment.
7.
Mismanagement of Acquisitions
- Despite acquiring Bethesda (2021) and Activision Blizzard (2023), results have been mixed.
- Bethesda titles (e.g., Starfield) have been divisive, not system-sellers.
- Activision's future under Xbox remains uncertain, and regulatory scrutiny damaged Xbox's public image during the acquisition process.
Business Strategy & Messaging Issues
8.
Mixed Signals About Console Focus
- Repeated emphasis on "playing anywhere" and Game Pass led many to believe Xbox was de-emphasizing consoles.
- Confusion increased with day-one Game Pass PC releases and hints that exclusives might come to PS5/Switch.
- In 2024-2025, Xbox started bringing exclusives to other platforms — a move viewed by fans as abandoning the Xbox brand.
9.
Game Pass Growth Slowing
- Game Pass was initially a success, but subscription growth has stagnated.
- Questions have been raised about the sustainability of day-one releases on Game Pass and their impact on game quality.
10.
Cloud Gaming Unrealized Potential
- Xbox pushed cloud gaming (xCloud) heavily, but it has not become mainstream.
- Input latency, device compatibility, and limited consumer interest hindered adoption.
PR Missteps & Communication Blunders
11.
"We Lost the Worst Generation to Lose" (2023 Interview)
- Phil Spencer admitted Xbox "can't just out-console Sony or Nintendo" and called the Xbox One era the worst gen to fall behind.
- While honest, this was viewed as defeatist and demoralizing by fans.
12.
Inconsistent Messaging on Exclusivity
- Statements often contradicted actions — e.g., promising exclusives, then releasing them cross-platform.
- This inconsistency confused fans and hurt brand loyalty.
Dannyufcfan
Neo Member
If you view xbox through the lens as console maker trying to compete with Sony and Nintendo like they did with the 360, Xbox One, and Series then his reign has been a massive failure. Because, they have lost that war and it's over and done and dusted.
On forum's such as this one, that's how most view Xbox. Which, is completely understandable as until this gen that's all we had to view them by.
If you're a MS shareholder, or especially if you're high up at MS, you probably think he's done a wonderful job. For instance, leading the charge and getting, in particular, Mojang and ABK over the line are seen very favourable with these people. MS gaming makes a shit ton of money, these days.
Those moves won't win him any favour among the gaming hardcore, but they do win him points with his bosses.
On forum's such as this one, that's how most view Xbox. Which, is completely understandable as until this gen that's all we had to view them by.
If you're a MS shareholder, or especially if you're high up at MS, you probably think he's done a wonderful job. For instance, leading the charge and getting, in particular, Mojang and ABK over the line are seen very favourable with these people. MS gaming makes a shit ton of money, these days.
Those moves won't win him any favour among the gaming hardcore, but they do win him points with his bosses.
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chilichote
Member
overpromising, underdelivering^^
SkylineRKR
Member
I don't hate Shill Phencer, but he's a clown in what he does.
The leaked mails were cringe as fuck. He's acting the good guy that wanted to unite gaming (playing the victim role with crossplay etc) when Xbox was bottom of the barrel, but at the same time he tried to purchase all the big publishers, and even Nintendo, and lock them down on 'a case by case basis'. Which massively backfired because they don't have the brand power to back these IP up.
He was the right person to take over when Mattrick left, but everything he did since kind of backfired.
The leaked mails were cringe as fuck. He's acting the good guy that wanted to unite gaming (playing the victim role with crossplay etc) when Xbox was bottom of the barrel, but at the same time he tried to purchase all the big publishers, and even Nintendo, and lock them down on 'a case by case basis'. Which massively backfired because they don't have the brand power to back these IP up.
He was the right person to take over when Mattrick left, but everything he did since kind of backfired.
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