PHIL SPENCER UNLOCKED INTERVIEW RECAP & ANALYSIS

     Phil Spencer appeared on episode 437 of IGN’s Unlocked Podcast, and discussed a great many things of importance to the Xbox community. Series X price, release date, Xbox IP’s, launch lineup, xCloud, and the effects of COVID-19 on work were just a few of the many topics discussed. Podcast host Ryan McCaffrey did an excellent job of posting pertinent questions, and keeping the conversation going. While Phil was careful to keep from revealing too much in regard to specific titles or dates; he was candid and revealed important information for Xbox fans. Below, I’ll recap the key takeaways from Phil’s interview, and give my own analysis.

ESA MEETING

     Phil revealed that he had an extensive meeting with the Electronic Software Association (ESA) earlier in the morning. He said the purpose of the meeting was to figure out plans for scheduling during the E3 timeslot. E3 in the traditional sense, was cancelled a few weeks ago, so this was in regard to a digital showcase. Phil is on the ESA Board, so he has a large role in these deliberations.

DEALING WITH COVID-19

     The COVID-19 Pandemic is and has been an international crisis that has affected countless individuals, businesses, governments, etc. in 2020. Xbox, and Microsoft as a whole, are certainly no exception. Phil said that he and the teams have been working from home for the last four weeks, a necessary action to protect the health and safety of employees. This has however, brought some complexities to game development. As Phil noted, game development is already difficult as it is, this situation has just made it even more difficult. The team has been really stretched, and are doing the best they can to accomplish their goals and benchmarks.

SERIES X RELEASE DATE

     Phil stated that their plans for a Fall/Holiday 2020 release date for Series X has currently not changed, but they are evaluating the situation as the climate evolves. If, for instance the hardware and software are just not ready in time, they will push back the release. Above all, the health and safety of the employees and fans are paramount. If it isn’t safe or healthy to get it done by that point in time, they’ll postpone. A limited market release for the Series X is something Phil opposes, as he recalls the nine-month delay in Japan receiving the Xbox One after its launch, which hurt its viability in the region. Another key point about the Series X release is that Phil insists that the console will not be delayed on the basis of an individual title not being ready on time (Halo Infinite, for example). If everything else is ready to go, the Series X will launch as planned, regardless of Halo Infinite being ready or not.

SERIES X PRICE

     Phil wouldn’t give a firm price for the Series X, but did say that they had a good idea of what it would be. He went on to say that their price is “agile”, and could be changed in reaction to Sony if need be. Pre-orders for the Series X should be coming this summer.

SERIES X DEVELOPMENT

     Phil acknowledged that development on the Series X actually started back in 2016. “Jason Ronald (head of Backwards Compatibility) has been doing a fantastic job of leading the team on designing the Series X.” The team set out to make the most powerful console, and provide players with features such as unprecedented accessibility and Backwards Compatibility. Unfortunately, the optical output was removed because of it being cost prohibitive to mass produce. COVID-19 has obviously impacted the development cycle (both hardware and software) of the Series X, but it currently remains on track for a 2020 release.

WHAT ABOUT PS5?

     Xbox feels great about their price, hardware, and software lineup. Phil noted that the process of building and designing the Series X started in 2016, with no previous knowledge of Sony’s plans for their PS5. As for Xbox’s reaction to the Sony’s recent specs reveal for the PS5, Phil said that they feel great about the Series X, and that it reconfirmed what they were doing.

xCLOUD

     There was a brief discussion about xCloud, latency, and the place of PC/Consoles in the gaming landscape. xCloud is shaping up nicely according to Phil, and is a big thing for them going forward. He is quick to note, however, that the best gaming experience as far as performance and speed, would still be on dedicated PCs or Consoles.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM 2013 (XBOX ONE LAUNCH)

     Phil was very candid about the debacle of the Xbox One launch, and open about many things he had learned from the experience. It should be noted that he was not yet Head of Xbox at the time, so it was his predecessor’s strategy to reveal and market Xbox One the way they did. Among the lessons learned were: respect the gamer (Backwards Compatibility, accessories, etc.), respect games as an art form (not all games fill a certain checklist, they are creative works), not to release a console at different dates in different markets, (Japan had received the Xbox One nine months after other markets, which hurt it in the market), and to take short term financial hits in order to preserve/strengthen long term relationships with the consumer (digital purchases carry over, Backwards Compatibility, accessories carry over, not making the consumer have to purchase things again, and smart delivery – best version of game owned is delivered for Series X).

NINTENDO RELATIONSHIP

     There is a strong relationship between Xbox and Nintendo, one built on mutual respect and admiration. While a couple of Xbox titles had recently been ported to Switch, (Ori and Cuphead), Phil noted that those were exceptions, and made possible because of a desire by the studios (Moon and MDHR) for that to happen. Xbox feels that the best place to play Xbox games is on their platforms, and doesn’t want it to become a recurring concern of fans. Simply put, don’t expect more Xbox games to come to Switch; these two were outliers.

MOON STUDIOS ACQUISITION?

     When asked if Moon Studios would prolong their relationship with Xbox, and maybe even become a First Party studio, Phil put a damper on those ideas. Basically, all he said was that they respect Moon Studios, are big fans of their work, and feel they can make whatever they set out to do. This does not sound like language surrounding an acquisition at all.

RIP SCALEBOUND

     Discussion around Scalebound seems to ramp up every few months, with some new rumor declaring it alive. When Ryan asked about Scalebound possibly coming back, and for the reason why behind its cancellation, Phil was candid. In his perspective, Scalebound was a failing on both sides, as the project just couldn’t reach the level that it needed. Also, he effectively ended once and for all the speculation of its return, stating that it is just not coming back.

MORE INFO COMING SOON

     Xbox has been fairly transparent the past few months, steadily revealing exciting information regarding the Series X and games in development for it. Phil indicated that they had a lot more information to share between now and E3’s traditional timeslot of June. More details will be coming soon.

GAMES FORECAST

     Phil said that in meeting with Matt Booty and Aaron Greenberg, they couldn’t find an event in the foreseeable future without a game being revealed for Xbox. This is an unbelievable luxury for Xbox to have, especially as they head into next gen. When asked about revealing games that are pretty far out as far as release dates, Phil said that they feel more comfortable announcing distant titles that are from First Party Studios, as they have more intimate knowledge of them, rather than Second Party or Third Party titles that are externally developed. As for the launch lineup for the Series X, even if Halo Infinite were to be delayed, Xbox feels quite good about the stable of titles pegged for that window.