A spokesperson from Microsoft has told Windows Central about the reason behind the “This is an Xbox” campaign’s sudden demise, an event largely attributed to Asha Sharma taking over as the gaming brand’s new CEO.
Indeed, it’s now looking like there might have been some truth to those speculations, as the individual in question points to Sharma being unhappy with the direction the campaign was taking the brand in, a sentiment shared by many of Xbox’s employees. “Asha retired ‘This is an Xbox’ because it didn’t feel like Xbox. She is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand.”
We’re inclined to agree, as most of the ads in that campaign focused on pitching Xbox as a platform, not a console. That might be poised to change as Project Helix takes shape as a worthy contender for a console crown that the PlayStation has managed to steal away, despite the current-gen Xbox Series being a worthy adversary. It will be interesting to see how the brand repositions itself in the coming months, and we’re hoping for a more Xbox-focused approach this time around.
A revised approach to Game Pass’s pricing would be a nice touch, but that just might be wishful thinking on our part. Nevertheless, we’re all for a fresh start to the console wars and welcome some healthy competition between two of modern gaming’s giants once again.
