Xbox chief Phil Spencer recently commented publicly for the first time on the closure of Microsoft Studios, saying he has to “run a sustainable business inside the company and move forward”.
Last month, Xbox made the shocking decision to shut down several Bethesda studiosWhich includes Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin.
Now, in an interview IGNSpencer has finally addressed the issue of closure.
“The closure of any team is obviously tough for the individuals there, tough for the team,” he said. “I’m not going to talk about that publicly, because right now it’s time for us to focus on the team and the individuals. This is obviously a decision that’s very tough for them, and I want to make sure through the severance and other things that we’re doing the right thing for the individuals on the team. This isn’t about my PR, this isn’t about Xbox PR. This is about those teams.”
“Finally, I’ve said repeatedly that I have to run and grow a sustainable business within the company, and that means sometimes I have to make tough decisions, which obviously are not decisions that I like to make, but are decisions that somebody else needs to make.
“We’re going to continue to move forward. We’re going to continue to invest in what we’re trying to do at Xbox and build the best business we can, to make sure we can continue to put on the show we’re doing right now.”
Spencer’s comments echoing the words of Xbox president Sarah BondWhose interview was taken immediately after the announcement of shutdown.
“It’s always extraordinarily difficult when you have to make decisions like this,” Bond said. “When we looked at those fundamentals [industry] We feel a deep responsibility to make sure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services we provide are always there, even when the industry isn’t moving forward, when you’re going through a period of change.
“The news we announced earlier this week is a result of our commitment to ensure the business remains healthy over the long term.”
The studio’s closure was widely criticized from across the industry, especially Tango and Arkane Austin both reportedly set to work on new games,
At the beginning of the year, Microsoft fired 1900 people from its video game team. this year alone, Over 10,000 people have been laid off in the video game industryIn which Microsoft is the biggest contributor.
This interview follows on from last night’s interview. Xbox Games Showcase – Here’s everything that was shown,
