While XBOX might have started on its path to get more positive audience feedback under the leadership of CEO Asha Sharma, she has also seemingly warned staff that there will be some “hard choices” that Microsoft has to make in the future as it rebuilds the brand. According to The Verge, an internal memo was reportedly sent out to XBOX staff discussing the company’s current state and what the plan will be moving forward.
“We are building a stronger XBOX,” Sharma seemingly said in the memo. “That means making hard choices about what we build, where we invest, and what kind of company we need to be going forward. That is part of what you are starting to see in the shift from Xbox to XBOX. It reflects a decision to be deliberate in how we show up for the players who care most about this brand.”
While Sharma seems to be relatively optimistic, she didn’t quite reveal any details about what these “hard decisions” might entail. However, anyone who has worked in the corporate world will likely interpret these decisions as potential layoffs. Until an actual announcement about a new round is made, however, it should be taken with a grain of salt. In the rest of the memo, Sharma seems quite keen on rebuilding XBOX as a brand, mentioning recent moves made by the company like rebranding from Xbox to XBOX.
Sharma has made quite a few waves since her appointment as CEO of XBOX and Phil Spencer’s departure from the role. Back in April, she had reportedly mentioned in an internal memo that the company’s Game Pass subscription service had become “too expensive for players”.
“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox,” the memo reportedly said. “It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one. Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system, which will take time to test and learn around.”
This came after quite a bit of backlash against Microsoft due to the company raising the subscription service’s pricing, with Game Pass Ultimate costing $29.99. Among the decisions made under her tenure have been the lowering of Game Pass’s price.
Sharma’s time as CEO of XBOX has also seen major shake-ups in the division’s leadership structure. Earlier this month, she announced that the company was pulling back from its previous plans of integrating Copilot AI into XBOX, and revealed that the division had seen a host of new appointees. Other members of the leadership saw their roles being further expanded, while a few even stepped down.
As for what might be in store for XBOX in the future, Sharma said last month that market conditions might have major impacts on the pricing and availability on the next-generation console, currently known as Project Helix.
“All of these things are an equation,” she said in an interview. “Memory costs will impact pricing, will impact availability. As we think about being where the world plays, we will take that into consideration. So we’re not ready to share a launch timeline right now. The world’s pretty dynamic. My number one focus, though, is to focus on what’s in our control, build a great console to play great games, including your PC games.”
