The new Xbox boss, Asha Sharma, wants to make Microsoft's gaming division the world's leading gaming and entertainment company by 2030, thus overtaking Sony.
After a period of monthly stagnation, Xbox Game Pass is seeing renewed growth in user numbers thanks to a price reduction, while a 100-day strategy review aims to reorganize internal investments and processes. The ambitions are in place; now it's time for implementation.
The 100-day plan against stagnation
Asha Sharma took over a veritable construction site. The turnaround for Xbox Game Pass, which had previously stagnated in user growth for eight months, resulted primarily from an aggressive price correction and the new “Player Voice“-Feedback system.”
That's not enough for market leadership. Sharma therefore initiated an immediate, 100-day restructuring phase. During this period, all investments and operational business areas were reviewed. The goal is a return to measurable growth, as the previous and current situation is explicitly deemed unsatisfactory internally.
Platform reach replaces the focus on hardware
What's striking about Sharma's realignment is the complete absence of key figures on console sales, new hardware, or traditional market share in the hardware sector. Sony remains unassailably ahead in hardware sales and direct player spending in the console market. Microsoft is shifting the playing field and hoping the plan works.
"I would be very happy if we became the leading company in the gaming and entertainment sector."
Asha Sharma
The strategy aims for maximum platform independence, formulated by the internal mantra "be where the world plays." Xbox is no longer defined by the plastic box under the TV. Cloud, PC, mobile, and the delivery of content on competing systems are now the focus. The radical multi-platform course of recent months is not being reversed, but rather cemented, albeit... exclusive content It is assigned a not entirely insignificant role.
Returning to the community as a mandatory task
The admission carries significant weight. Sharma emphasizes at Bloomberg LiveXbox needs to reconnect with its core player base. This is a direct result of its flawed communication strategy during its recent multi-platform push, which alienated its loyal customers.
The turnaround is supposed to be achieved through direct feedback loops with developers. Whether this PR formula will work remains to be seen. Player loyalty can't be mandated by decree. It arises from reliable product policy.
The announcement that Xbox aims to become number one by 2030, ahead of Sony and Nintendo, is mathematically unrealistic without a return to targeted hardware exclusivity. For console gamers, Sharma's focus on an "entertainment company" primarily means that the Xbox console will lose its significance as the exclusive home for blockbuster games.
Those seeking maximum flexibility across cloud and PC will benefit from the expanding ecosystem. Those buying a traditional console for its exclusive titles need to look closely. Microsoft is no longer building a gaming fortress, but rather a software network with no defenses.
You have to buy the PS5 stand separately, the disc drive separately, and eventually you'll have to buy the controller separately too. Such idiots! Xbox, on the other hand, makes sure you have lots of games on Game Pass. Game Pass is cheaper, but for the PS5 you have to buy everything separately, plus €80 for the games. But look at the Xbox.
That's right, we're number one! Microsoft PS5 should make their own games instead of just buying from others. We Xbox players have our own games too. It's getting to be enough of helping them every time; we don't get anything from them either.
What's so funny? You'd better not look at this, because you have to buy the controller separately. The stand costs €30, the disc drive for the Pro costs €200, and the games are €80. And you don't know that this was the last time you'll get games from us, because we're going back to making games only for ourselves. Our mistakes will be rectified.
Phil promised that back then, too. What came of it? Nothing but his damn grin.
This Asha is delusional 🙄
I'll only take her blather seriously when she follows it up with some action.
So, which Xbox Series X/S game has sold 70.000.000 copies? Or a PS5 game? That puts the Switch 1 in first place, and the Switch 2 will also surpass the Xbox... and now, honestly, who among you is buying an Xbox or PS5 for GTA 6? The Zelda remake will beat GTA 6, let's see what happens 🤣😜 Humor is very important in the entire gaming world, so play what everyone enjoys, and that's that.
The easiest way to sell more consoles is...
Xbox exclusive means Xbox exclusive and not releasing the games simultaneously for PC.
Take the damn PC out of it and you'll suddenly sell 3 times more consoles.
Removing 100% of all games for all platforms? I highly doubt that.
That's one of your biggest mistakes, Microsoft, but unfortunately you don't understand that.
Such a company is so addicted to a monopoly position and has therefore already crashed and burned several times.
The new Sara, or whatever her name is. She would 100% make Call of Duty Xbox exclusives too.
Not until after 10 years. The promise that CoD would come to Nintendo has not yet been fulfilled. If you make a promise, you keep it.
Many people are starting to feel overwhelmed by Microsoft. Even companies and many German states are considering switching to other operating systems.
Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked 😅
They've wanted that for 25 years 😂
Just play good games endlessly, and it will all come naturally. Nobody cares about the speed. It's the games that matter.
We had the most fun playing on the Xbox 360. The user interface was much cleaner and not so cluttered. I have both the 360 and the One, but somehow the 360 is more fun.
Well then, good luck. No one can beat the Japanese.