'He's a Good Human and He Cares Deeply for the Creative Process and Developers.' Former Blizzard CEO Defends Phil Spencer's Image
Mike Ybarra took to Phil Spencer's defense after Microsoft's recent layoffs, although he doesn't deny that the head of the gaming division is responsible for the Xbox situation.
Sony undoubtedly upset players before the past weekend, and this week it's Microsoft that found itself under fire from gamers. They direct their aversion mainly towards the CEO of the gaming department of the giant from Redmond, even though according to the former head of Blizzard Entertainment, Phil Spencer, he is a "good man" and he is also hurt by the recent layoffs (via X).
Phil Spencer isn't a robot
Mike Ybarra parted ways with Blizzard (and therefore Microsoft) at the beginning of the year. However, he continues to provide lively commentary on the gaming industry, sharing his own thoughts and ideas. In one of yesterday's posts, he stated that although he cannot comment on the entire Xbox "leadership," he managed to get to know Spencer. While he comprehends the "anger and confusion" and hasn't always seen eye to eye with the CEO of Microsoft's gaming division, Spencer "is a good human and he cares deeply for the creative process and developers."
It's probably not surprising that Ybarra's behavior didn't win him the approval of all internet users. Hence, another post from the former Blizzard CEO, in which he clarified his position. He explained that Spencer is definitely responsible for Xbox's current situation, but too many people treat him like a "robot" and attack him "personally." That's exactly what Ybarra doesn't like.
After this entry, internet users had somewhat more mixed opinions. Some players weren't persuaded at all, as they wrote that the corporate "millionaire" who laid off hundreds of people this year and consequently "ruined their lives" doesn't merit their compassion. Others indicate that Spencer is by no means the boss of the entire Microsoft and all decisions are his own whim. He is simply the face of Xbox, which makes him a "scapegoat."
Is Microsoft betting on Bethesda?
Apart from these discussions, it's worth mentioning the email that was supposed to be sent to Microsoft employees following the announcement of layoffs. Matt Booty, CEO of Xbox studios, allegedly informed his subordinates that these "difficult decisions" (layoffs) were made to "move forward with a more focused strategy across Microsoft Gaming that sets us up for sustainable growth and aligns our talent and resources to our top priorities." The content of the message was obtained by Jason Schreier from Bloomberg.
The journalist states that the email specifically mentioned "blockbusters" from Bethesda's catalog as one of Microsoft's priority projects, along with unnamed "influential" titles.
Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners, commented on Schreier's reports (via X). In his opinion, this is proof that the Game Pass service has "slowed down" and Microsoft cannot implement its original plan. This assumed that the profits from subscriptions would partially cover the development costs of the Redmond giant's games.
Ahmad doesn't claim that this means a reduction in the importance of "service and platform." Nonetheless, he believes that Microsoft is changing its strategy to make its games "profitable" as standalone titles.
