This idea that in order for the industry to grow, some companies must succeed and others must fail it doesnt help gaming reach the potential it should, Spencer tells The Post. We should be driven to help gaming as an industry grow, for creators to take the biggest risks they can. When a great game comes out, we should applaud it, whether its for PC, or PlayStation or on a Switch.
Spencer said he doesnt imagine movie executives hope for another studios project to fail. We should focus on this industry that we love and see it continue to grow. And we should protect it from the issues that it does have, said Spencer, adding that recent conversations around accessibility, inclusivity and addressing toxic, harmful communities have highlighted what truly undermines the industry. If were going to spend energy, lets go spend it on those things, not my piece of plastic is better than your piece of plastic. I dont think thats a productive conversation.
Spencers view on this isnt new. After all, hes spent the last half-decade moving in that direction, and thereby distinguishing the Xbox brand from the rest of the competition. The upcoming Xbox Series X is a big deal, but its no longer the only star of Microsofts gaming strategy, and its going to take some time for its fans to adjust. Microsoft is less interested in ruling a single platform like consoles, and more about bringing the Xbox to as many platforms as possible.
The Xbox is basically trying to bring adaptability to games the way app users enjoy services. An Instagram user with an iPhone 5 from 2013 will still use their same account in 2020 with a newer iPhone 11.
Bringing up an analogy like Instagram is so great as an example, Spencer said. Gaming in a lot of ways has been disconnected from the social norms that people on every other platform can have. Imagine in Spotify, if I was on my PC to create a playlist, and I booted it on my phone, I didnt see the playlist. Of course a login name means that all my favorites and playlists come with me across every device. Gaming has advanced for sure, but were a little behind some of the apps and other platforms in terms of that capability. Expanding the importance of Xbox Game Pass, which in April marked 10 million subscribers, means Xbox is adopting a new role as a games curator, not unlike the Netflix algorithm that suggests the next show or film. Spencer outlined a bit of the philosophy behind the conversation in choosing which games to promote on the subscription service. He thinks of how shows like Tiger King mightve not been green lit by major studios, and hopes Xbox Game Pass can provide similar explosive potential for newer game concepts.
To be fair I think the Disney execs were happy with Amazing Spider-man 2 flopping.