Xbox is not for sale, according to Microsoft’s gaming chief Asha Sharma, despite widespread restructuring, studio closures, project cancellations and ongoing layoffs across the division.
Sharma addressed the speculation in a new profile published by The New York Times. She rejected the idea that Microsoft’s gaming reset signals an intention to leave the industry.
“We’ve got a long way to go with Microsoft,” Sharma said. “We’re going to take the long-term view.”
The comments arrive during a turbulent period for Xbox. Thousands of employees have been affected by layoffs, Xbox Game Studios has been reorganised, and Microsoft has divested from four studios while cancelling projects.
For more coverage of changes across the games business, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Why Xbox is being reshaped
Sharma replaced former Xbox head Phil Spencer in February and has since pursued substantial changes to the division. She has argued that the games industry needs disruption, signalling a noticeably different approach from the Spencer era.
Xbox has reduced Game Pass prices as subscriber growth struggles. It has also removed one of the service’s costliest benefits: new Call of Duty releases will no longer arrive on Game Pass on their launch day. Further, more radical changes to Game Pass are rumoured, while cloud-gaming subscribers have recently faced time limits.
Xbox remains part of Microsoft
Reports that Microsoft may spin off or sell the Xbox brand prompted a direct response from Sharma.
“Xbox is not for sale,” Sharma said. “We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model and everything needed to achieve that.”
One example of that partnership strategy is the deal with Kojima Productions to publish Physint, the studio’s spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. Sony had previously dropped the project. The agreement reportedly costs Xbox substantially less than it would typically spend developing a premium game and includes television and film rights to the Physint intellectual property.
The changing Xbox strategy is relevant to the wider gaming hardware market, where buyers are weighing dedicated systems against flexible home setups. RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide offers a practical starting point for comparing cabinet styles and use cases.
More uncertainty lies ahead
Sharma and her team appear to have time to determine the division’s future operating model, but the immediate outlook remains unsettled. Hundreds of further layoffs are planned, while the next-generation Xbox, known as Project Helix, is approaching launch.
That means the current strategy could still change. For players interested in a dedicated gaming setup, RETROCADE also has arcade machines, compact bartop arcades and arcade parts to explore.
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