Xbox’s Millennial C.E.O., Asha Sharma, Isn’t Playing Around
“I think the industry will require disruption,” said Asha Sharma, who has overseen layoffs and divested studios since inheriting Microsoft’s flailing video game division.
Recent efforts by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to turn the console maker around have debunked rumors of a potential sale. Earlier this year, Xbox initiated a corporate reset, aiming to cut 3,200 jobs over the next summer. The restructure resulted in three studios becoming independent (Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Undead Labs), while the future of Ninja Theory and Arkane remains uncertain.
Earlier this month, Xbox handed Activision the rights to the Halo series, with Rare and World's Edge joining Microsoft's Call of Duty publisher. Obsidian Entertainment was also integrated into Bethesda, leaving only a few developers under Xbox Game Studios, including The Coalition, Playground Games, Mojang, InXile Entertainment, and the remaining Halo Studios.
Despite these changes, Sharma firmly stated, "Xbox is not for sale... We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success." While Sharma didn't entirely rule out the possibility of the company being spun off as an independent entity, there have been no indications of this so far. Xbox hopes next week's Gears of War: E-Day and next year's Clockwork Revolution will still make a significant impact as Xbox console exclusives.
Additionally, Sharma recently signed a deal with Kojima Productions for its action-stealth game, Physint, following PlayStation's withdrawal of support.
Written by urgent.news from Eurogamer's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
