Former Blizzard President Throws Shade at Microsoft’s ‘This is an Xbox’ Strategy

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Mike Ybarra, formerly the president of Blizzard Entertainment, recently shared his disapproval of Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” campaign, believing it wasn’t the right approach for the Xbox brand. Microsoft’s decisions regarding Xbox have faced criticism lately, and many fans are uncertain about the future, a sentiment Ybarra seems to share.

Microsoft launched a somewhat controversial ad campaign called “This is an Xbox” in November 2024. The ads showed devices like tablets, phones, and VR headsets, and called them “an Xbox” simply because they could use Xbox Game Pass. Many fans didn’t like the campaign, feeling it weakened the Xbox brand, particularly as Microsoft was increasingly releasing games on other platforms.

Mike Ybarra Criticizes Microsoft’s ‘This is an Xbox’ Strategy

So, I was reading about the whole ROG Ally thing, and apparently Microsoft’s Ybarra explained why it runs Windows instead of Xbox OS. Basically, he said if there aren’t any Xbox exclusive games, it doesn’t really *make* sense to force it to use the Xbox system. He even went pretty far, saying anyone continuing to make dedicated Xbox consoles when all the games are available everywhere else is… well, let’s just say he used a strong word! He thinks the whole “This is an Xbox” branding push was a mistake, especially now. His point is, if a game isn’t available on Xbox *and* other platforms, it’s confusing to call something an Xbox at all. It just doesn’t make sense to me either if it’s not offering something unique.

Even though some, like Ybarra, have voiced concerns, Microsoft appears committed to its current plan of supporting the Windows operating system. There’s also talk that Microsoft is developing official Xbox emulation for Windows, which could potentially allow players to enjoy classic Xbox games on devices like the ROG Ally.

Xbox will likely continue to offer both consoles and games on multiple platforms. Microsoft recently confirmed they’re working on the next generation of Xbox with AMD, dismissing rumors that the project had been canceled. It’s still unclear how well the next Xbox console will perform, and whether Microsoft will keep releasing only a limited number of their exclusive games on platforms like PlayStation, or fully embrace a strategy of releasing games on many different systems.

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2025-10-20 20:34