Spencer: 'They're putting a gaming person at the head' of Xbox
Phil Spencer is the new head of Xbox, which now includes the Xbox, Xbox Live, Xbox Music, Xbox Video and Microsoft Studios teams. He's been with Microsoft for 25 years, starting as a programmer, but his focus has always been on Xbox, he tells Joystiq in a phone interview.
"What I think Xbox is about, is those core gaming fans that are out there, and franchises they know and love, and creating new franchises that they'll fall in love with in the future," Spencer says.
He describes his approach to Xbox as all about the games: "They're putting a gaming person at the head of the division in me, as the head of Xbox. The Xbox brand has always been a gaming brand. People with their consoles use the entertainment offerings of the console every day – something that we will focus on. But I definitely come to this platform with a gaming focus, and I want to make sure that's what your readers hear, and they understand that Xbox is a gaming brand."
By reputation, Spencer is a little more Gears of War, while his predecessor, Marc Whitten, was a little more Angry Birds. Spencer laughs at this comparison. "Is it better to be Angry Birds or Gears of War?"
Spencer says he has relationships with companies across the gaming spectrum, calling out third parties such as EA and Activision, games such as Angry Birds and Clash of Clans, and studios in the ID@Xbox program. The new, all-encompassing Xbox division will support creators, he says.
"Bringing the teams closer together creates that tight feedback loop between platform and content that I think can create unique assets for us as we think about continuing to push the Xbox creative platform forward for all the people out there," Spencer says.
