The gaming world is currently in shock, as earlier today it was announced that Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is stepping down and retiring from his role. This retirement marks the end of his 38 years at Microsoft. Spencer will, of course, be most remembered for taking on the role of Head of Xbox in March 2014, following the departure of Don Mattrick after a poor launch of the Xbox One generation.
In the 12 years since taking on that role, Phil Spencer is credited with steadying the ship and saving the Xbox brand from closure during the Xbox One’s life cycle. On top of that, he has seemingly been a driving force behind some of the biggest changes to the gaming landscape. From the launch of Gamepass and a push for cross-play in major titles, to overseeing the biggest gaming acquisition of all time with Microsoft’s deal to purchase Activision Blizzard. More recently, he has come under heavy fire from the Xbox community for Microsoft’s decision to move first-party games to a multiplatform model, leaving many longtime fans feeling abandoned and alienated by the brand.
Whether all these choices were ultimately his or not, one thing...
