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Phil Spencer To Lead Xbox At Microsoft
Microsoft has announced that Phil Spencer is the new head of Xbox teams. Spencer, who was most recently Microsoft Studios vice president, will lead a combined Xbox, Xbox Live, and Microsoft Studios team.
This puts Spencer at the head of all things Xbox, including Microsoft’s media efforts in music and video. “Combining these teams will strengthen the connection between some of the world’s most innovative creators and those building the Xbox itself,” Spencer says. “Games and gamers have always been at the core of Xbox and the core of my work – and gaming will be our core as we take Xbox forward.”
In an email to staff, CEO Satya Nadella wrote in an email to Microsoft staff that Spencer will report to executive vice president of operating systems Terry Myerson. This is to keep “gaming close to the group developing operating systems across devices.”
This means that Xbox will be separate from the devices and studios division, which will be headed by Stephen Elop at the close of Microsoft’s deal with Nokia to acquire that company’s mobile business. For more on Phil Spencer, check out an interview from last September and recent coverage of his fireside chat at GDC.
[Source: Xbox Wire, Microsoft]
Our Take
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Phil Spencer on a number of occasions and he’s always struck me as someone who cares about the Xbox brand and gaming as a whole. Putting Spencer in a more visible, forward facing position is a smart move for Microsoft.
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