UPDATE
As we have reported, Xbox has raised its prices on its main console and game pass! How do you think this reflects the words of Phil Spencer?
ORIGINAL STORY
Regarding the hardware makers in the video game space, there are only three of major note: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. We put those names in that order because that’s the order that they entered the hardware industry. Nintendo has been there since the 80s. Then Sony arrived in the 90s with PS1, followed by Xbox in the 200s with the original Xbox system. Ever since these three went into an open contest against one another, the fights to get a “piece of the market” have been intense, with many bumps along the road. But according to Xbox’s Phil Spencer, he’s fine with where they are right now.
In a chat about the Xbox line and where they are right now from a gaming and hardware standpoint, Spencer was happy to tell The Guardian that he feels they’re doing better than ever:
“Our business right now, from a revenue standpoint, is about twice the size as it was in the Xbox 360 generation. And we’re millions of consoles ahead of where we would’ve been compared to 360. We’ve never had more Xbox players than we have right now.”
That’s an interesting statement to make for various reasons. Not least is that Microsoft hasn’t always been forthcoming about the sales of the Xbox Series X/S. Another thing to point out is that while there may be “more Xbox players than ever,” they’re not coming from Japan. The western console maker has never had a big footprint in Japan, which continues to this day.
However, Phil Spencer also noted how part of their “business” now is making the Xbox Game Pass as great as possible. It has been a big success for them, but he also notes that he’s not trying to “flood the service” with games:
“The number of games that are in Game Pass relative to unique videos on Netflix is vastly, vastly different. I think we’re somewhere between 300 and 400 games. It’s still a lot, but we’re not trying to inundate you. When I get negative feedback on Game Pass, it’s when quality isn’t what people expected.”
The tradeoff, in Spencer’s mind, is that while they might not have liked the quality, they paid much less for trying out the title, given that the games are all in one service.
That doesn’t even touch upon how Xbox is trying its hardest to expand the number of developers under its umbrella, which has grown significantly in recent years.
If Spencer has his way, this Xbox growth will continue indefinitely.
