The blind, by majority, have never driven a car.. CNN's Richard Quest plays video games with the head of Xbox Phil Spencer who talks about the future of the company as they celebrate the console's 20th anniversary. In this role, Spencer is accountable for leading Microsoft's gaming business across all devices and services. [16], In January 2022, along with Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard,[17] Spencer was promoted to the role of CEO of Microsoft Gaming. I believe we will need that virtuous cycle between content consumption, commerce driven by communities for everything we build. More recently, if you couldnt spend hundreds of dollars on a game console, potentially thousands of dollars on a high-end PC, you simply couldnt participate in the global gaming community in a significant way. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. Oops. They need to be considered in the mix. Ahead of the first-ever Xbox & Bethesda Showcase on Sunday, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer hosted a series of conversations with Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and members of Microsoft's Gaming Leadership team on the future of gaming at Microsoft.We've shared some highlights from the day in another article, but we also wanted to share one of the day's biggest moments on its own. Phil Spencer is an American business executive, who is currently CEO of Gaming at Microsoft. You can follow him on Twitter @GamingAngelGabe. Phil Spencer: Im thrilled to be joined by Satya Nadella to talk about how Microsoft broadly can drive gaming forward. For the first couple of decades, the only way you can play the game was to buy the game outright. 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. This meant that aside from learning how to consult on this specific project, Cole needed to familiarize himself with cars. The notion that Microsoft should develop its own gaming console began gaining traction way back in 1998, with Kevin Bachus, Seamus Blackley, Otto Berkes, and Ted Hase forming the software giants first console team after successfully pitching their idea to Bill Gates. However, second place also led to a tremendous amount of innovation from Microsoft. To get a deeper dive, I spoke to Cole as well as Turn 10 Studios' gameplay & accessibility producer Neha Chintala and head of Xbox Phil Spencer about bringing these features to life and why . Microsoft also intends to leverage Activision Blizzard in its efforts to develop new metaverse platforms, a business venture that many companies are beginning to invest in heavily. And because studios continuously learn from each other, these initiatives have the potential to shape how developers approach designs and features for blind/low vision players. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. Further, it needed to account for the individualistic nature of disabilities. If you feel you dont need this giant suite of features that we made, you can turn them off, you can turn some of the audio cues down, or modify every volume individually. Since this was such an important conversation, we thought it would be best to share it in its entirety. And with Forza Motorsports Blind Driving Assists, Turn 10 Studios wants to change that expectation. 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. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox since 2014, is known to players as the guy who. While the last-gen Xbox One isn't as powerful as the Xbox Series X, it's still a worthwhile console and has a huge library of great games. The Xbox Wireless Controller Remix Special Edition will launch on April 18, just a few days ahead of Earth Day on April 22. Despite the marketing teams belief that the abbreviated Xbox name wouldnt fly, the label went over well with focus groups, providing the company with one of the final elements it needed to pull back the curtain on its creation: A catchy name. We deeply value individual studio cultures. In this link you can check how to participate in . As players and partners, we all know how talented and dedicated the teams and studios are across Activision Blizzard. After an uneven console cycle with the Xbox One, Microsoft's latest consoles are aimed at getting the ship back on course. On April 18, 2002, Microsoft slashed the price of the Xbox from $299 to $199. There's something about Spencer that makes him instantly approachable; combined with his 27 years at Microsoft itself, that makes him the obvious choice to lead the company's gaming wing. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Email (Opens in new window), Microsoft Major Nelson Promotions Official Rules, Will Tuttle (He/Him), Xbox Wire Editor in Chief, Bringing the Joy and Community of Gaming to Everyone, E3 2018: Gaming for Everyone, a Conversation with Phil Spencer. would change course regarding online connection requirements, The best upcoming Xbox Series X games: 2023 and beyond, You cant share Xbox screenshots or videos directly to Twitter anymore, All Xbox One games with mouse and keyboard support, The best Xbox One games to play right now. Gaming is fundamentally aligned and woven into our mission as a company. 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. And Coles understanding and expertise being blind is just one of many disabled experiences that Xbox looks for when creating games. But before we move forward, why not take a look back at what brought us here in the first place? Despite Microsoft owning Bethesda at the time, preexisting agreements were honored and the game remained a timed console exclusive on PS5. Now he wants to reinvent gaming. However, blind/low vision players still cannot reliably purchase most new games despite increased interest and awareness from the disabled player base. The Xbox 360 S hit shelves a few days later on June 18, 2010. The Xbox Series X is a next-generation powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, while the Xbox Series S is an affordable stopgap for those who are curious about trying new games. As technologies advance and as more disabled individuals offer their skills to developers, the design practices and features that disabled people use will eliminate even more unintentional barriers. ), connects with its fans, pushes the boundary of entertainment and has embraced the power of the cloud in such interesting and impactful ways. The content is the driving force behind Game Pass growth, which is why Im so excited about our acquisition of ZeniMax, which brings some of the worlds most iconic, beloved games to the service. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Spencer's promotion in a companywide email today. This includes Halo Infinite, which will also be coming to PC. 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. His lived experiences as a disabled individual afford him the opportunity to provide insight that is not only beneficial for developers, but also the blind/low vision community itself. One key component to the consoles success was the popularity of its flagship game, Halo, which offered the one-two punch of being both exclusive to the Xbox and one of the first-person shooter genres most compelling, groundbreaking titles to hit shelves in years. It might not seem like much by todays standards, but hitting the million-units mark back then was unheard of. New York, There are really three, I think, areas or key areas where we believe we have incredible competitive advantage. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. Shortly after Mattrick's departure, Microsoft announced a major reorganization under which Julie Larson-Green became the head of the Xbox hardware and studios groups, while Myerson was given leadership of development on the Xbox One OS. As a company, Microsofts all-in on gaming. Game Tapes Raw: Xbox - Bill Gates/The Rock (01/06/2001), Project xCloud: Gaming with you at the center, Xboxs Earth Day controller is made from recycled water jugs and CDs, Former PS5 exclusive Ghostwire: Tokyo Comes to Xbox Game Pass in April. Phil Spencer, as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, plays an integral role in executing these visions and continuing to develop the best Xbox games, fostering a culture of inclusivity and. Given the ray-tracing capabilities of the PS5 and its own support for 8K resolution, that would be quite a feat. In fact its a milestone for our company, our business and our industry. 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. Following Mattricks departure, the role was briefly filled by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, but soon after the company announced a major restructuring that split the Xbox division. Not every racer needs the same accommodation, and the team wanted to ensure that everyone could find an appropriate range when using this setting. The former head of . In this Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom trailer breakdown, Logan Plant highlights Link's four new powers, along with bringing some speculation surrounding some hidden bits tucked away in the gameplay. They need to consider what kinds of audio cues were used for each thing. This agreement is a testament to the impact our gaming team has delivered, and I am deeply grateful for their hard work and commitment. In fact, one of the things we have learned from all of the work you all have done is in some sense, it starts after the game is launched because you want to be able to experiment, learn through analytics and continuously change gameplay. Games like The Last of Us Part 1s 2022 remake and The Last of Us Part 2, every NetherRealm Studios title since 2013, and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown are examples of games that are accessible to blind/low vision individuals within a vast industry of iconic series and genres. But at the same time, like, when you're fishing and you start to see the sunset, I'm like, hurry up catch your fish. Niantic, for example, showed a great demo Pokmon Go using Mesh at our recent event. [5][6] During his early time at Microsoft he was known by other employees to be an avid gamer, playing games such as Ultima Online in the office. They can no longer afford to ignore customer demand to diversify their options. 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. Gamereactor UK. Before its official launch, the game will feature two test periods! The high cost of manufacturing the Xbox didnt do its creator any favors, making the next big event in the systems timeline even more surprising. Sales of Halo shattered all previous records, with more than 1 million copies of the game sold in the first few months of its release. 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. Phil Spencer is taking over as the head of Microsoft's Xbox branch, the company announced today. [14], In 2018, Spencer delivered the keynote address at the 2018 DICE Summit[15] and spoke at the 2018 Game Awards. Obviously, todays agreement to acquire Activision Blizzard is incredibly exciting. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, And well hear more about that later. Even with all of the problems for early adopters of the system, the 360 sold amazingly well. As a leadership team, we know how much exciting but difficult work we have ahead of us, so its crucial that we operate as a single, unified team. Effective today, Phil Spencer will become CEO, Microsoft Gaming. Some of the best Xbox One games are first-party titles, but you'll find loads of other quality games from the likes of Electronic Arts, Bethesda, and Ubisoft that compose a huge library of games worth playing. Thanks for being here, Satya. Mini Bio (1) Phil Spencer is executive vice president, Gaming at Microsoft. Games are a source of joy, inspiration, and social connection. The last game produced for the Xbox in North America, Madden 09, was released in August 2008, and support for the system was discontinued in March 2009. Our oldest currently supported software franchise is in fact our game Microsoft Flight Simulator, which we released three years before the first version of Windows, even. Digital Trends Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites. Blind Driving Assists are just one example of Xboxs continuous support of disabled players. The xCloud initiative and new Game Pass cloud gaming feature are those efforts to compete with services like Stadia directly. Phil Spencer has been with Microsoft for a very long time--longer than many of us at GameSpot have been alive. It is being marketed as the worlds most powerful console, with speculation that it could end up being even more powerful than Sonys PlayStation 5. Ryan is a diehard gamer and follower of the gaming industry, an avid filmgoer, and a passionate supporter of his alma mater, the University of Kansas. A short time later, he was gone, and after more executive shakeups in the division, Phil Spencer was ultimately made Head of Xbox a position he still holds today. CEO Satya Nadella stated that the company internally referred to the xCloud endeavor as . Spencer: Yeah, Im so excited about the potential here. Phil will continue his close partnership with Yusuf Mehdi, who leads business strategy and marketing for Xbox, George Peckham, who heads up third-party partnerships and Mike Angiulo, who will continue leading Xbox hardware. 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. Phil Spencer shows that the console war is dumb. Going back to the birth of personal computing in the 1970s, the ability to play games has been limited by the cost and power of the specific device youre using, whether its an arcade cabinet or a PC, a phone, a tablet, whatever. For blind/low vision players, each feature within Blind Driving Assists attempts to translate that knowledge through different means. And by January 2010, more than 39 million units had found their way into households. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary. You get a lot of cues from the games audio already like what surface youre driving on, what your cars RPM is, how fast youre going with the wind flying by you, and what we wanted to do was make sure the sounds that we were using to provide this extra information that the blind player needed to get around the track wouldnt conflict with those sounds.. While Microsoft was been hit with criticism for the Xbox Series X's slow-growing exclusive lineup-- several highly anticipated titles like Bethesda's Starfieldand co-op shooter Redfall have been pushed to later in 2023 -- the company is still delivering one of the best deals in gaming: Xbox Game Pass. Mar 21. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering local news, travel features, and politics. Directed by James Mangold, the movie also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. When you talk about Xboxs mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet, which I absolutely love, this is precisely what I think of when we think about Microsofts mission, which is to empower every person, every organization on the planet to achieve more. First is our leadership in cloud computing; second, the resources we have to build out the subscription value with Xbox Game Pass; and third is our overall focus on empowering creators. With Game Pass, we are truly redefining how games are distributed, played, and shared. Spencer, previously operating under the lengthy "Executive Vice-President of Gaming at Microsoft" title (and more commonly referred to as the "Head of Xbox") is now officially CEO, Microsoft Gaming. And Cole acknowledges that many disabled players may hesitate to try this game, especially one as in-depth as Forza. As Satya mentioned, I am now CEO, Microsoft Gaming. The legendary games and franchises across that company have delighted millions of people for decades. Check out Spencer's words below. It will take many years before streaming video games becomes mainstream, the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has said. Aside from the benefits proffered by the unification of all gaming leadership and corresponding teams, it also goes hand-in-hand with the Activision Blizzard deal to signify just how seriously Microsoft takes its gaming ventures. Its one of the leading platforms in the creator economy. It is being marketed as the worlds most powerful console, with speculation that it could end up being even more powerful than Sonys PlayStation 5. Gamereactor uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best browsing experience on our website. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Later that night, however, Sony not only confirmed there would be no online requirements or restrictions on used games with the PlayStation 4, but that it would cost just $400. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. Spencer has been with Microsoft for 25 years, working in various departments. Phil Spencer (born January 12, 1968) [3] is an American business executive and the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Even on top of all that tuning, we still allow the player to offset some of these values just a little bit to account for reaction time, and thats something that maybe theyll tune it lower when they first start while theyre learning the system, and as they get in there and start to recognize it and move faster and the reaction time becomes better, they can start to turn those values up.. One year after the Kinect was announced, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 would be getting a major redesign, with a thinner body, upgraded internal specs, additional USB ports, and built-in Wi-Fi. XBL: Iridium Six 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. Please enter a valid email and try again. 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. [4] He is currently the head of the Xbox brand and leads the global creative and engineering teams responsible for gaming at Microsoft. First, the motion- and voice-control peripheral that would eventually become Kinect was announced in June 2009 at that years E3 convention. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, wants better game preservation across the industry, per Axios. Along with being able to connect with friends (and strangers), Xbox Live also made it possible to download new content and take multiplayer interaction to a new level. No, you actually dont.. Gaming has been key to Microsoft from our earliest of days. There was no stopping the Internet rumor train once it started chugging along, and before long the new console even had an unofficial code name: Xbox 720.. In todays world, companies are continually being pushed to modify and expand their products and services; Microsoft has chosen to appease their loyal customers in an effort to keep them around. I had to learn to slow down when going into a turn. Dubbed the Remix Special Edition, the gamepad is largely made up of recycled plastics and other reclaimed materials. Nadella:Thats so well said, Phil. Microsoft announced that they have more than 100 titles ready to add once xCloud is officially made public. Given the ray-tracing capabilities of the PS5 and its own support for 8K resolution, that would be quite a feat. Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. In many ways, when we look at these opportunities, we start solving for one specific scenario, or even personal situations, and then think about how we can extend that [solution] to many.. [5], "Introducing Forza Motorsport 7's December Bounty Hunter: Phil Spencer - Xbox Wire", "Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer Celebrates His 55th Birthday Today", "Welcoming the Incredible Teams and Legendary Franchises of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming", "Kinect Accelerator Mentor: Phil Spencer", "Microsoft's Videogame Boss and the Long Battle to Reinvent the Company", "Welcome Phil Spencer, Microsoft's New Xbox-Everything Honcho", "E3 2012: Phil Spencer Post-Conference Interview", "E3 2013: Phil Spencer Talks Xbox One Lineup", "Satya Nadella email to employees on tuning our organization", "Microsoft Xbox boss Phil Spencer just got a big promotion, and will now report directly to CEO Satya Nadella", "The DeanBeat: Microsoft's Phil Spencer steps up as a diversity leader", "Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo get up on stage at The Game Awards", "Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion", "Read Microsoft Gaming CEO's email to staff about the Activision Blizzard acquisition", "Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is", "Phil Spencer to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 25th Annual DICE Awards", "New York Game Awards 2023: Elden Ring Wins Two Awards as Phil Spencer Is Honored", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phil_Spencer_(business_executive)&oldid=1148728494, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 22:55. When the acquisition closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Spencer emphasized Microsoft's dedication to finalizing the deal despite acknowledging the . And of course, game development doesnt stop when the game is launched. There have been reports of a second, significantly less-powerful machine that will omit a disc drive and be offered at a reduced price. 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. Career Xbox may be heading toward PC-style upgrades By Mike Epstein March 1, 2016 Microsoft Vice President and head of Xbox Phil Spencer said he believes the game consoles of the future will. In his email, Spencer stated, "Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players. The acquisition has considerable ramifications for Xbox and the gaming industry as a whole, but it also heralds a shift internally for Microsoft. I mean, for me, you just go to Xbox.com/play, and Ill tell you, its a really fast, easy way to get into gaming. 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. 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! That cost, the retail model have limited the audience for creators and the entire industry. The first set of reports surfaced on (of all places) LinkedIn, where several designers and developers added vague descriptions of a mysterious new project they were working on with Microsoft. Esta es la informacin. The people theyre making this game accessible for may have never played a racing game, or ever driven a car before. Microsoft continued to push the envelope on both the console and its marketing budget with more demonstrations at the Electronic Entertainment Expo a few months later. The updated Xbox One S shrank the system considerably, adding in HDR support and a 4K Blu-ray player, while the Xbox One X was the most powerful console in the world at the time of release. LARRY HRYB: Because, Rebecca, I don't know if you know this, you've had a chance to play it, but nighttime is kind of dread time. A keyboard and mouse will give you better precision than your standard Xbox One controller so you can keep up in cross-platform games without shelling out money for a top gaming PC. Not everybody is built the same and we wanted to make sure we were accounting for that, he said. We expect this acquisition to close in FY23, pending regulatory approvals. Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Under his tenure, Microsoft has built up a stable of key franchises such as Halo, Gears of War, Fable and Forza. i wonder if the whole 'bringing xbox back' scheme from phil and the whole 'putting gamers first' and the 'this is the year for xbox' shite was just all smoke and mirrors. When Microsoft brought the Xbox One to E3 the following month, things didnt get any easier. [18], Since taking over both Xbox and the Gaming division, Spencer has advocated for cross-platform play, as well as launched key initiatives, such as reintroducing backward compatibility to the Xbox platform, the purchase of Mojang and Bethesda, the further development and support of Minecraft, the introduction of Xbox Game Pass, launching the Xbox Adaptive Controller, an increased focus on PC gaming, porting some Microsoft published games to other platforms including the Nintendo Switch, the launch of xCloud, and increasing the number of first-party development studios. We give the updated Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 4 Remake a spin in this S-Rank gameplay clip, featuring Leon. A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon. Initially known by its internal development name Scarlett, Microsoft officially unveiled the Xbox Series X during The Game Awards 2019. Accessibility is not about competition. In the meantime, we know you will have a lot of questions. Xbox head Phil Spencer recently got promoted to Microsoft's executive leadership team, in a big show of confidence for gaming. When it comes to the metaverse, Phil Spencer could give Mark Zuckerberg a run for his money.
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