In the same appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast, the head of Xbox Phil Spencer mentioned how he's "incredibly excited" about the future of Xbox now that Microsoft has successfully acquired Activision Blizzard as well as the mobile giant King.
Reflecting on his own history as the head of Microsoft's gaming division, Phil noted how he's also personally more excited than he's ever been in his role, even if he is a "little intimidated" by the sheer amount of teams he's now leading.
He's always considered "a strong creative organisation" to be a critical path forward for Xbox, which is now being truly realised:
"When I think about now, the breadth of players that we have - creators from Candy Crush to Hearthstone to Starfield to Minecraft to State of Decay 3, you have a breadth of creations that want to come out on our platform and other platforms and what can we do to enable that... I am more excited about being here than I've ever been.
...The growth in our creative capability was something I thought was important from the beginning...our first acquisition was Minecraft, then we went through Double Fine, Undead, Playground, Ninja...we added a bunch of teams and then Bethesda and now Activision Blizzard King"
Earlier in the podcast, Phil also addressed a hot topic online about the whole deal being "done" and at the "end". While the court battle has come to a close, the head of Xbox wants to remind everyone that this is "just the beginning":
"I think the regulatory process took so long that it almost felt like the goal itself was to get through the regulatory process, that's just the beginning , in fact, this evening I'm flying to Stockholm to see the King team, it's a team I don't know that well...but I'm really excited seeing the teams...the following week I'm going down to Southern California I'll go to Blizzard, I'll go see Activision and to me when I think about where we're trying to go it always starts with the teams."
Are you as excited as Phil is about the future of Xbox now that the ABK deal has gone through? Tell us below.
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Will we get new games tho? New ip’s. I have feeling nothing really change!! We continue get COD, maybe another Diablo, Tony Hawkes. As far as being a gamer go Microsoft owning Activision will make no difference what so ever. As you were gamers.
@Pimpernel this is my point exactly. After $69 billion spent all we get is the same as what we had. Imagine what could have been achieved if that money was spent separately to Activision games releasing. THAT would have been better for the games industry and the gamers. It feels like success on here is based on how much money a studio can make ahead of the users experience.
@StonyKL a business putting making money first ?? Surely not
The users will benefit it just won't be straight away , the more money they make the more they can take risks in games
@StonyKL @Pimpernel Blizzard announced via its recruitment page that it is working on a new IP. A survival game which could release next year. Recently Infinity Ward also put on there LinkedIn page there looking for staff to work on a new IP also. An open world RPG.
@cragis0001 I would love to see what the super-talented folks at Infinity Ward could do in a new genre. Open world IP from them? Sign me up!
@Pimpernel @StonyKL Yes I want to see more new IP too. Activision has become stale. But stale IP sells well sadly.
If Xbox can somehow get Ubisoft that would be amazing for the game pass catalog … hope something is cooking down the road with giving cloud rights to Ubisoft
Hopefully with all of these ips we can see big budget movies being made !! Maybe some anime style mature shows ! Get creative Xbox . Make StarCraft into a third person to bring back that horror dead space and gears of war 1 tapped into .. and StarCraft 2 / 3 to console
@Kaloudz there is so many ways we can benefit from this deal its just about how Microsoft will menage the studios at how good is there vision, so how can this deal be beneficial for us gamers?
1.Games day 1 on gamepass with no sub price increase (or less than 10% increase max)
2.games still releasing on complete state in future and not cut it down to sell DLCs
3.shuffle teams and maximize potentials i can imagine treyarch working with 343 on a halo game were the main character is a normal soldier qnd mix cod halo gameplay
4.make a team from COD that will support around all studios working on FPS games (the outer world... wolfenstein...halo...)
5.bringing back ips like prototype.. kazooi...
6.expending Activision studios so they can work on COD and on other projects in same time
I do hope Phil encourages some new IPs out of Activision. It’s a no brainer to be honest.
I don’t see them acquiring any more western publishers now. I do think there is the possibility of a Japanese publisher and then that would be it (for the big ones). Let’s see.
@TheSimulator How about we stop cheering on mega Corps to become even more mega.
@TheSimulator From what others on here have previously said the terms of the deal with Ubisoft for the ABK streaming rights forbids MS from acquiring Ubisoft for the duration of the deal.
I remember reading the hearings transcription, all the assumptions and lies from Sony's lawyers and the infinite patience of Phil Spencer. Now, Jim Ryan is leaving Sony and Phil Spencer got the deal through and is keeping his word, as expected by everyone but Sony. The revealing fact is that Modern Warfare III will be a Microsoft game with exclusive perks on PS because of Sony's deals, just like Bethesda's games before the acquisition. None of the arguments coming from Sony, the FTC and CMA made any sense. Sony is the market leader and is against third-party parity.
I don't usually comment on Bobby Kotick but how much did Sony or Sony fans against the acquisition really care about the working conditions at Activision? Or is it like Naughty Dog, that they don't matter as long as the production values are impressive? Wasn't ABK looking for buyers before Microsoft made a generous offer, anyway? Who would have been a better buyer?
1. Of course he is excited, what else should he say for commercials?
2. The question is, will the world really be excited in a few years about the evolution of XBox?
I mean, XBox pays billions for big studios and than fires hundreds of developers. Big lead producers suddenly quit their jobs after XBox took over... Hmmm, no of course, Microsoft are so good minded.
We'll see in a few years about the quality of the games and the price increases of the Game Pass subscription.
Of course he is excited 🤣.
For me I will be excited when/if Toys 4 bob, Raven software, High Moon Studios and Infinity Ward can make something besides Cod.
Raven made Singularity, High Moon made Cybertron games plus many others so hopefully they get the budget and time to make something that they want to make.
Fingers crossed it's not some GAAS/MT filled turd like we have been seeing way too much of.
@themightyant I agree 🙂 Even though I stopped playing COD. You can't deny it's success came down to how good the teams at Infinity Ward, Raven plus it's support studios are. so Infinity Ward making an open world RPG is definitely interesting.
If Phil Spencer is serious about COD being every 2-3 years to allow other projects we could be in for some great games.
@Kaloudz definitely. Look how Bethesda is starting to bear fruit with Hi Fi Rush, Ghostwire Tokyo, Quake 2, Starfield & Redfall. Then you have this year's COD & the vast amount of cash King generates being reinvested into Xbox 🙂 exciting times.
@Kaloudz if the rumour is true about Blizzards survival game coming next year then we could get a reveal at Blizz con in November or E3 next year. As for Infinity Wards openworld RPG? Maybe a teaser trailer at E3.
@cragis0001 An open world RPG eh? Sounds like a service game to me.
@Sifi i not understand your point? Sorry. All i’m saying is Xbox devs should take a leaf out Playstation devs book and invest in new ip. Like Playstation do. That main reason Playstation outsell Xbox, their exclusive games.
The industry is healing
I want something new for the Starcraft universe. Or warcraft iv.
Love the rts games Blizzard has made in their lifetime.
He says the latest acquisition is "just the beginning"
Everybody at PlayStation and their fans right now:
@Kaloudz possibilities are limitless a halo game under treyarch
A wolfenstein game with the help of sledgehammer
A banjoo kazoui done by toys for bob
A diablo style xbox all stars game
Heartstone adding xbox charcters
Raven working on a single player shooter
......
Omg i will have multiple orgs**
@Banjo- Sony and Jim got want they wanted a far better COD deal then Phil was previously offering before he extended it to 10 years. Sony knew it was a losing battle so they just dragged it on and on until MS were forced to make a deal that suits them. I'm shocked no one saw this common business war tactic, Jim has been in this game long enough to know it could never be stopped but he can sure as hell make it difficult and have MS make deals they never wanted to make.
@DennisReynolds thats why he retired a week before annoucing ABK deal? You think Rayan tought all this thro? So why embarcing emails went out? Actually i think Microsoft is the one that planned all of this they are multibillionnaire company that did many huge aquisitions they hbe so much expérience in this,Ryan wanted to hurt the deal but he finished by having that 10 years deal Microsoft offered a year ago
@DennisReynolds well you can stop what’s going to happen in these comments lool
@TakeItEasy MS offered a 3 year deal, Jim even spoke out publicly about that. The 10 year deal came after as MS's hand was forced.
Yeah Jim's retired good but i expect after a very stressful and busy year and a bit he's grown tired and weary especially when his job kept him from his family and him flying around the world constantly every month, the guy's nearly 60 no wonder he quit.
@DennisReynolds so your saying Microsoft was surprised that sony wanted to négociate for more years? Wow i most be 200 IQ because i would definitly see that coming
@TakeItEasy Right and let me add that Sony refused the 10-year deal at first because they thought that they could stop the acquisition. It was only at the last minute when they signed the agreement. What advanced strategy is that? The last emails that were leaked between Phil and Jim showed Jim asking for more and more and Phil offering the same as in the previous email.
EDIT: I recommend reading those leaked emails, they are revealing.
@Banjo- nd Him telling Activision that he dont want to negotiate he just want to ruin the deal
@Kaloudz I mean you can’t acquire a bigger gaming company than ABK, like you said if no one could stop that then what chance does anyone have at stopping any other future acquisitions?
Sega is heavily rumoured to be the next company that MS will acquire but I doubt we’ll hear about any future acquisitions for at least a couple of years yet. The only company I can see people raising their eye brows at is EA being acquired by MS. Imagine CoD and EA Sports FC, two of the best selling games year after year.
@Kaloudz right now there is infinite possibilities for what they can do
Also i wold love a xcom style game with chracters from all over xbox
Or a smash bro game will do too
A lootershooter like borderland done by avalanche studio with help of raven studio
@TakeItEasy Of course not but Phil didn't want a 10 year deal he wanted a 3 year deal. Sony dragged it out to the very end to get the best deal they could.
End of the dude though what do you know? What do i know? What do the usual suspects on here know? If we knew how to run mega corps we wouldn't be on here we would be billionaires. People can hate Jim Ryan or Phil Spencer all they want but they have had more success and earned more money in the past 3-5 years then all of us will combined on here in are entire lives. Maybe instead of acting like you know better then Sony/Jim or MS/Phil you should remember where you are in life right now compared to them. This sites community really does like to think it knows corp business better then the actual billionaire businessman and CEO's. Honestly its why i rarely visit here because it gets so cringe on here with it.
@Kevw2006 yeah but we can get them addicted to the easy Microsoft cash… after that they will find it hard to say no to the assimilation…, insert evil laugh
@Kaloudz think the only difference I can see happening at Blizz con this year could be Phil Spencer on stage during the event but bar that I'm sure all plans have been finalised before the deal was approved last week.
@S1ayeR74 only time will tell I guess.
Phil is excited about the future of Xbox. And he states this is just the beginning. Never has there been more "Phil" words spoken. I'm going to start calling him Tomorrow Phil.
@Martsmall they just spent 69 billion so surely money isn't the issue ,they've always had the money, they've had the studios for years ,so wheres the games,and why do you think this time, its gonna be different ?
@GunValkyria so its ok if ms does it then 🙄
@MaccaMUFC id be more concerned as an xbox fan how Sony will retaliate,they're hardly gonna just lie down,they didn't get to be on top for nothing.
@TheSimulator
Ubisoft is a creatively bankrupt studio, Far Cry 6, Assassin's Creed Mirage and The Crew Motorfest are proof of this
@Mephisto2869 before 2018 Microsoft hardly had any studios, mainly only studios dedicated to Halo, Forza and Gears. Games this generation take approx. 6 years to make, so we should start to see the fruits of their labour soon. Where's the games? They are currently being made...
@Sakai so we can expect at least 10 first party games from ms next year ,including fable ,perfect dark,hellblade 2 ,good to know
@Mephisto2869 because Microsoft was paying for all but now with all the studios and making money on mobile/cod etc they will be bringing in a lot of money and it takes longer than 20 mins to make a game .... Ask Sony about how long factions takes
@Martsmall so you're saying money was the issue then ,so now they will have more money that will equal more games ,truth of the matter is ,xbox knows it can't compete with Sony or Nintendo with the quality of their first party titles ,so there going for quantity over quality, buying ips to bolster game pass, they cant afford to keep buying 3rd party games to put on there forever ,microsoft is game pass now,not xbox
@Mephisto2869 in a perfect world yes, but as nothing is perfect, I would say over the next 1-3years yes, that would be a more reasonable guess, as delays etc can happen
Good to know that the quality of Sony and Nintendo can't be achieved by anyone else 🤣. Sony is a borefest since PS4 and Nintendo is not outputting their typical magic and creativity since Switch was released. Neither are at their best but enjoy what you like. All of them have good stuff.
XBOX is down 30% in sales compared to last year.
Honestly, Phil should acquire families with 2-3 children and mandate they buy an Xbox. I am thinking you could buy over 3000 families for 69 billion.
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