Xbox boss Phil Spencer has long accepted that 2022 was a very weak year for the brand in terms of first-party releases. The executive spoke on the subject again, as he knows gamers are worried after what happened with Redfall.
During a chat with Kinda Funny (via VGC), Spencer again acknowledged that they failed in 2022 with the Xbox Games Showcase and the promise they made to release a compelling variety of games over the next 12 months.
The executive believes that things will be different this year, so he stressed that 2023 will offer great things for Xbox gamers. In addition, he noted that they will probably soon be able to deliver on their promise of a steady stream of releases.
Spencer is excited about the Xbox Games Showcase and what's next for gamers
In the interview, Spencer made it clear that he has no pretexts to justify the mistakes of 2022. He accepted that they simply did not deliver. However, he noted that they have worked to make things different throughout 2023.
The executive said he is excited for the Xbox Games Showcase in June, as he anticipated that they will show new things and give updates on some games that the community is waiting for.
"I’m very enthusiastic about Showcase. We’re going to announce some things that people haven’t seen, some new games, [and] we’re going to give updates to some of the things that were on your list.” the executive said.
Spencer was positive about the future of Xbox, as he suggested that things have improved and that everything is in place to have a steady stream of releases for the coming quarters. In 2021, the executive promised at least 1 first-party game every 3 months and, it seems, they are getting closer and closer to achieving that.
“The other thing that gets me really excited is when I look forward over the next quarters – which has always been my focus, how do we get a big game out every quarter, at quality – that things are lining up finally after some of the slowdown though Covid. I’m tired of talking about that, but I can now see that we’ve got games coming every quarter that I think will surprise and delight our customers." Spencer added.
The Xbox boss acknowledged that they have work to do on the creative and technical side. He stressed that they don't try to create a "game that rules them all" and that their goal is always to have "different creative approaches" to have a diverse catalog of games.
"I think for what we’re trying to do as Xbox, which isn’t to mimic any of the other platforms out there, [is to] create our own brand and identify the diversity of what we build, [which] hopefully will end up being a strength. But we have to do it at quality, we have to do it on time, and we have to show people what they’re actually going to see." the executive concluded.
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