After a major “reset” that saw1600 workers laid off in early July(with 1600 more coming in the next fiscal year), and a number of studio divestments, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has laid out the platform’s goals for FY27.
In a memo obtained by Game Developer (and other outlets likeThe Verge), the CEO declared major priorities for the next year, with a “four C’s” framework around “core,” “content,” “creation,” and “connection.” In practice, the plans include placing console front and center, prioritizing major franchises, making Minecraft “the world’s creator platform” and extending transmedia plans.
A bulleted list details each “C” here, with a few particular points of interest. The emphasis on “core” translates to a focus on console, while keeping Game Pass, Windows, and streaming as “our platform for new players and developers.” Regarding franchises, Sharma indicates that three properties generate over $1 billion each year, and that “we will transition from a broad and decentralized system to one more focused around our strongest franchises and biggest new ideas,” and expand further into the mobile market.
The transmedia plans are perhaps the least surprising of the initiatives, with Sharma noting “We will build long-term plans for our biggest franchises across film, television, consumer products, sponsorship, live experiences, and form new partnerships globally, including China.”
Regarding Minecraft, the CEO penned “User-generated content has driven over 60 percent of net consumer spending growth outside China since 2021. Minecraft is the best-selling game in history and one of the world’s largest creative communities. We will invest in Minecraft more than ever before, strengthening the experiences players love while expanding the tools that help people create, share, build audiences, and earn.”
The plans all come on the last day of a month that has been massivelydestabilizing for workersat the company—and the industry as a whole. Microsoft has also faced legal action from labor unions forallegedly mishandling the layoffs.
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