Phil Spencer admits Xbox had a ‘light’ 2022
Xbox didn’t exactly have the greatest 2022. With most of their biggest projects (like Starfield and Redfall) being delayed into 2023, there was a severe lack of any heavy hitters for Microsoft’s gaming platform. While ‘As Dusk Falls’ and ‘Pentiment’ were critically acclaimed games, they were admittedly smaller titles that failed to have the punch that competitors were offering. Just look at Sony- who released three of the six game of the year contenders: Stray, Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok. These were big games that were talked about for weeks and, in some cases, months after release. Comparing this to Xbox’s narrow line up shows a severe lack of impact on Microsoft’s end.
Fans were understandably disappointed with Xbox’s offerings last year- especially since it was being hyped up as the year of big videogame launches after COVID-19. Instead, with the biggest announcements pushed back, Xbox was left with next to nothing for the second year running. This wasn’t lost on the higher ups, however, as Microsoft Gaming CEO admitted that 2022 could have been better. In a recent IGN interview, Phil Spencer said the following:
“Our commitment to our fans is that we need to have a steady release of great games that people can play on our platform, and we didn't do enough of that in 2022, there's no doubt.”
While delays are understandable, the constant pushing back of the most hyped games for Xbox fans has become frustrating. The general consensus was that 2022 simply was not good enough- especially considering it was the second full year into the latest generation. This should be the time in which the most exciting games are released to draw in as many new customers as possible. Unfortunately, 2022 simply was not that for Xbox. Despite the lackluster year, Phil Spencer did confirm that he felt hopeful for Xbox’s 2023. When asked about the next twelve months, he said the following:
“When I think about the rest of the work that we're doing this year, it's going to be an exciting year.”
Xbox in 2023 already looks like an improvement on last year- with Starfield, Forza Motorsport and Redfall being confirmed for the first half of 2022 (although Starfield is looking further and further away with each day). And, of course, last week’s Hi-Fi Rush was a surprise hit that Xbox absolutely needed for PR. Unless all of these are pushed back yet again, 2023 may just be the comeback year for Microsoft. And with another showcase confirmed for Xbox this summer, the second half of the year may be even better. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to be optimistic.
