Some of the coolest things Ive seen over the past year is how people have used Minecraft to create new worlds in order to maintain even a sense of community and belonging thats so important in times like these. Although itd be amazing if we only had to depend on game streaming services instead of PCs and gaming consoles, we havent arrived at this level of innovation quite yet. The success of Halo 2 stood in stark contrast to the floundering sales of the Xbox itself, which continued to cost Microsoft significantly more to produce than it could ever rake in with sales. It exemplifies, at least for me, what uniquely we can do by bringing together the power of all of Microsoft tech stack, right, from Azure AI to Bing maps, and even spatial computing, which came together to create essentially literally a digital twin of the entire planet. From the audio cues to Steering Guide, each individual asset of the Blind Driving Assists needed to go beyond assumptions and cater toward real players. This was the move that helped make history. I will be hosting a webcast with investors at 6 a.m. PT with Phil and Amy, as well as Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard, to share more details on our big ambitions for gaming. Mercenaries mode is a special mode in Resident Evil 4 Remake that challenges players to survive and score as many points as they can against waves of enemies, with all sorts of ways to extend time, gain score multipliers, and more. And Cole acknowledges that many disabled players may hesitate to try this game, especially one as in-depth as Forza. Watch the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer for the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, opening in theaters on June 30, 2023.Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist in the highly anticipated fifth installment in the iconic Indiana Jones movie franchise. Digital Trends Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites. As we prepare for the next generation, our efforts to make gaming more inclusive, more immersive, more . Today, Spencer revealed that PC Game Pass is expanding to forty new markets with a quick clip on YouTube. This Xbox Series S deal gets you an extra wireless controller for free, All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC), You cant share Xbox screenshots or videos directly to Twitter anymore, The best upcoming Xbox Series X games: 2023 and beyond, Dont fall for this fake Xbox controller deal buy this instead, 7 excellent game deals you cant miss during Steams Xbox publisher sale, This Thrustmaster racing wheel and pedals set for Xbox is $60 off. Head of Xbox: Phil Spencer's History at Xbox - YouTube Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson, chats with Phil about his history at Microsoft and what led him to his new role as. And when I think about our new platform, Microsoft Mesh, which enables you to interact holographically with other people with a true presence in a very natural way, one of the most exciting applications, I think, will be gaming. Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RyanFlemingPDX What I showed them was how different audio cues could work together, and how they could also run over each other if done incorrectly, Cole said. On the surface, the system looked like it had a chance to compete with the PlayStation 4, which had been announced earlier that year, but rumors swirling about the Xbox One potentially requiring an online connection and limiting the sales of used games overshadowed news of the system itself. Cloud gaming is truly a breakthrough experience. during The Game Awards 2019. I recall trying . I love that I can go from my PC to my Xbox to my Duo, picking up on any game right where I left off and even using the touch controls on Duo. In fact, creators have generated over $350 million from more than one billion downloads of the mods, add-ons and other experiences in the game. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Phil Spencer (born January 12, 1968)[3] is an American business executive and the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Ghostwire: Tokyo was first released on PS5 and PC on March 25, 2022. We look forward to extending our journey to create a more diverse and inclusive culture to our new colleagues at Activision Blizzard, and ensuring all our employees can do what they love, while thriving in a safe and welcoming environment one where everyone feels empowered to do their best work. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. As players and partners, we all know how talented and dedicated the teams and studios are across Activision Blizzard. Accessibility is not about competition. Gaming has been key to Microsoft since our earliest days as a company. They can no longer afford to ignore customer demand to diversify their options. Why it matters: As head of Xbox since 2014, Spencer is already one of the most influential and powerful people in gaming, but he finds himself at a pivotal point both in his career and in the industry at large. Phil is one of the best things to happen to the Xbox brand, to ignore everything and cherry pick things without context is weird. That cost, the retail model have limited the audience for creators and the entire industry. After more than 30 years at the company, Spencer is now CEO of Microsoft Gaming, as it looks to tackle mobile gaming, the metaverse, and cloud gaming with more than 20 game studios. By the end of 2005, more than 1.5 million consoles had shipped, putting the system well on its way to becoming the new master of the console castle. Concerns regarding the systems look and design, as well as the $299 price tag, fell by the wayside with over 1 million Xbox consoles flying off shelves in the next three weeks. Niantic, for example, showed a great demo Pokmon Go using Mesh at our recent event. Regardless of the preferred platform, the creation of Blind Driving Assists is indicative of the growth of blind/low vision accessibility. Speaking with IGN, Turn 10 Studios developers, an accessibility consultant, and Xbox head Phil Spencer discuss the development process behind Blind Driving Assists, the importance of community involvement, and Xboxs desire to create an inclusive and accessible industry. Simultaneously, all of Microsoft's gaming leadership now report directly to Spencer, including Jerret West, CMO of Gaming, and his marketing team. He began his journalism career back in 2010 while still in high school, and subsequently graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University's E.W. We will have a webcast for investors and media at 6 a.m. PT to discuss the Activision Blizzard transaction and our plans as Microsoft Gaming. Although the sales of the 360 trailed behind Nintendos Wii, which sold close to 100 million, it outsold the Ps3 by around 5 million. Spencer joined Microsoft in 1988 as an intern and has worked in a number of technical roles, leading the development of Microsoft's first CD-ROM-based titles (such as Encarta), development manager for Microsoft Money, and general manager of Microsoft's online and offline consumer productivity products including Microsoft Works and Microsoft Picture It! When you step back and look at the next decade and the evolution of technology, I think one of the most defining trends will be how the balance between consumption and creation is achieved and the changes it brings about. Xbox release dates in Japan (February 22, 2002) and Europe (March 14, 2002) soon followed, though the system failed to catch fire in either of the two regions with the same energy that fueled its arrival in North America. And well hear more about that later. Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. And of course, game development doesnt stop when the game is launched. In 2022, Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox and CEO of Microsoft's gaming division, made clear the company's intention to place Activision Blizzard's franchises in the Xbox Game Pass catalog. Find Ryan online at: The head of Xbox and executive vice president of gaming at Microsoft, Spencer says popular games like . Its being used as the backend for more than 5,000 games, so a lot of exciting things that the cloud can enable. You Are the Future of Gaming. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Given the four years between the release of the first Xbox and the arrival of its successor, its no surprise that after six years rumors began circulating in March 2011 that the 360 was on its way out and Microsoft was already hard at work on its next console. Neha Chintala notes that Coles involvement was crucial for each option within Blind Driving Assists, and his work started during the preproduction phase. "I love the way the Xbox team is focused on great games and gaming experiences (go, Titanfall! Further, it needed to account for the individualistic nature of disabilities. Theyre expanding that economic opportunity, too. 10 Things We Noticed in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Video Feature, Resident Evil 4 Remake: The Mercenaries Mode - Leon S Rank Gameplay, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Official Trailer 2 | Star Wars Celebration 2023, Fan-Favorite Deadpool 2 Character is Returning for Deadpool 3, Zack Snyder Finally Explains His Thoughts Behind Justice League's 'Knightmare' Scene, King of the Hill Actor Confirms Revival Will Feature a Time Jump, CMA Says Microsoft Would Lose 'Substantial' Money By Making Call of Duty Exclusive in 'All Plausible Scenarios', New Update Available Today For Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, The Biggest Games Coming in May and Beyond, Moon Mystery - Official Kickstarter Trailer, Resident Evil 4 Clockwork Castellan Locations. Xbox Game Pass now boasts of over 25 million subscribers, a number that will likely only continue to rise as Microsoft begins adding Activision Blizzard games to the service. A free update called The Spider's Thread will release on the same day for all platforms, including Xbox Series X/S, PC and PlayStation 5. I mean, the cloud and Azure have sort of fundamentally allowed us to truly put people at the center of gaming, enabling them to play the games in high fidelity, as you said, wherever, whenever they want on any device. The legendary games and franchises across that company have delighted millions of people for decades. As Spencer notes, the games industry wants to support disabled players. Phil Spencer is taking over as the head of Microsoft's Xbox branch, the company announced today. You see that in all sorts of platforms, and there are growing communities who want to discover, explore, and build on others creations. We talk about Xbox Series X price, whether coronavir. Spencers new role officially, Head of Xbox sees him reporting directly to Myerson, who oversees the development teams on Microsofts operating systems (including Windows and Window Phone, in addition to Xbox). Nadella: Yeah, absolutely. The systems lineup of exclusive games has been extremely limited, with Microsofts first-party development teams unable to compete with the much larger collection of Sony studios, and many of the Xbox Ones best games were also released on PC. Microsoft Head of Xbox Phil Spencer talks about how the Xbox One launch almost killed the Xbox brand. A lot of them are available on Xbox Game Passas well, so you can try out the best games on the system without shelling out $60 left and right.