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We've seen Xbox fans talk about Microsoft's perceived lack of marketing for its gaming business before - heck, it's been a hot topic for some time when comparing success levels with other platform holders. Well, in a new interview with MarketingWeek, the Xbox EMEA boss has given us some frank quotes about the state of Xbox's marketing in certain regions.
Talking to the outlet, Xbox's marketing boss for Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Michael Flatt, said that the team "has to be quite scrappy really" when fighting for funds from Microsoft. Flatt went on to compare the struggles his team goes through in comparison to Sony and its PlayStation division.
"From a funding point of view, we need to work really hard against our competition,
They’re blessed [PlayStation] with marketing funds that we’re just not able to enjoy. But that’s totally fine. We adopt what I would call a more fiscally responsible approach to media investments.
We’re not blessed with huge media budgets, so we have to be quite scrappy really, and quite tenacious to fight for funds that would probably go somewhere else,"
These comments are refreshingly honest, but also tell a bit of a disappointing story for Xbox fans. Just last week, we heard rumours that Xbox was planning to cut back on console marketing in these very regions - although that's just rumour and nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft. This sort of 'scrappiness' can lead to some great success stories too, of course - like the one about an Xbox fan helping Bromley FC get promoted to the English Football League!
Generally though, this sort of restricted budget that Xbox teams may have to work with helps explain a thing or two. Maybe it contributes to things like Xbox Series X and S sales slowing down hugely in Europe in 2024? Of course, there are loads of factors at play for that, but even so, we'd like to see these talented folks at Team Xbox get the sort of backing that their competition is using to its advantage.