Bloomberg: Microsoft’s gaming unit is operating under a challenging set of revenue and profit goals, according to people familiar with Xbox’s busines

[quest4441]

So Xbox should be given credit for promoting within, but all staff in Xbox don't make the big decisions. It doesn't matter who get promoted so, so why promote failures and why give Xbox credit for promoting to jobs with no decision making? Your post has a few holes in it.

The change where microsoft corporate makes decisions for xbox happened recently after the actiblizz acquisition. Bond has helicoptered in 2017 to work on their BC program which then got expanded onto and Gamepass was envisioned. Before ActiBlizz Phil and co were the decision makers with slight oversight from Corporate, after actiblizz they restructured xbox leadership but stuck to the same people with heavy oversight.

Bond got promoted because Satya believes in subscription services and she delivered on gamepass which in hindsight has turned out to be a failure, Jim Ryan delayed their plans by 12 months, bitched about CoD exclusivity and really fucked them over. Starfield being delayed was also a big deal, Yes the game turned out to be mid but a lot was riding on it and it was supposed to release in 2022. If starfield turned out to be this generations skyrim then xbox would clearly be in different situation.

In addition remember the series consoles were easily available during the pandemic, My guess is the plan at xbox was to get the acquisition approved in 2022 and sell cheap series S consoles with ActiBlizz games exclusivity hand over fist over the holidays

The thing is this all seems like a discombobulated mess because it is, things have really gone to shit for them since 2023 and they themselves have no clue on how to make this work.

Anyways all this is speculation on my part

 

[Would_you_kindly]

The whole article is a Sarah Bond glazing fluff piece lol, never once is it mentioned that the release of sub par mediocre games is the reason for no growth in the business

Sarah bond glazing

 

[Dabaus]

Bond aint gonna do what you guys are expecting. She is the one who headed the gamepass initiative, the woman was helicoptered into gaming from a telecommunications background. Say whatever you want about Sony leadership they at least promote internal people who have been in the business for multiple decades.

I dont think Phil gets the boot until he decides to retire, The brand is majorly centered around "good guy" Phil's image for the past half a decade. Frankly I think decisions are being made for xbox from the level above Phil and Bond and all they can do is implement them.

Sarah was brought in for her mobile experience and it says in the article gamepass started 3 months after she was hired so that was all Phil’s idea. If Sarah is the future then mobile gaming Is the direction they want to go.