Xbox, like so many other companies, hosts town hall meetings with its employees as a way to gauge the current circumstances and chart a course for its future. However, it appears there is trouble in Xbox paradise, as leaks from the most recent town hall are painting an uncertain future for the gaming giant.
The leak comes ahead of Microsoft’s February 15th showcase event, and could color public perception of any of the planned announcements. While the leaks claim there was some talk about the future of Xbox, it just doesn’t seem like the company has anything substantial or concrete planned on the horizon.
The Xbox Town Hall was Held by Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond
The leaks come from inside sources who spoke with Inverse. The meeting happened on Tuesday, 13th February 2024, amidst rumors of Xbox-exclusive Starfield making its way to PlayStation 5. Not only that, there are also rumors that Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Platform exclusives are meant as a way to draw people to a particular camp as those games can’t be played anywhere else. While some PlayStation exclusives such as God of War are now available on PC, it’s only after many years of their initial release on the console.
News of Starfield, a game that came out very recently, already ending its exclusive status could mean Xbox is feeling the tides shift against them and is working towards a diversifying strategy. Spencer also confirmed to the employees that “future hardware” for Xbox was in the pipeline, and that another Call of Duty would be coming in October. He went on to address the company’s lay-offs, claiming it was a difficult decision to end things that were not working.
The Leaks Suggest a Nebulous Future for Xbox at the Very Least
Sarah Bond spoke to the employees of their “every screen is an Xbox ” strategy, and emphasized their commitment to becoming the largest cross-platform gaming company. To drive home this point, the multiple screens that were set up for the event showed images of Palworld, the recent Pokemon-esque survival game. There were further talks of an Xbox handheld and getting exclusive access to Palworld which is on Xbox Game Pass currently.
While all of this sounds exciting, much of it seems to be up in the air with no concrete basis. The town hall may be structured as a way to gain employee favor, but hollow claims make it appear to be just a PR move that Xbox hopes will assuage their employees and keep them hopeful of a turn around.
With PlayStation leading the console charge currently, Xbox is going to have to pull out the big guns if they want to have an advantage over Sony. Do you feel Xbox has a strong future in gaming? Let us know in the comments below.
