Xbox Boss Says He ‘Made Some of the Worst Game Choice Decisions’

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Xbox Boss Says He 'Made Some of the Worst Game Choice Decisions'

Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said he “made some of the worst game choice decisions” in the past.
  • Among other things, Spencer passed up on the opportunity for Xbox to publish Destiny and Guitar Hero.
  • The Xbox boss said he still doesn’t have any regrets about the past.

As a dedicated Xbox fan with two decades of gaming under my belt, I’ve always admired Phil Spencer for his unwavering commitment to Microsoft’s gaming division. His recent revelation that he made some “worst game choice decisions” over the years, such as passing on Destiny and Guitar Hero, only serves to humanize him further. It’s a humbling reminder that even industry titans like Spencer can err, but it’s their resilience and ability to learn from these mistakes that truly define them.

In a recent conversation, Xbox’s leader, Phil Spencer, admitted to making some less-than-ideal decisions in game selection throughout his 23-year tenure with the company.

Since 2014, Phil Spencer has served as the head of Xbox, but he had a significant role in Microsoft’s gaming division for years prior to that. In fact, during the Xbox 360 era, he oversaw the company’s developer studio family. As a result, deciding which projects should move forward has always been a key part of his daily tasks.

Phil Spencer Passed on Destiny and Guitar Hero

In a recent interview at PAX West 2024, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming admitted that he had turned down several games that ultimately became massive successes. He acknowledged that some of his choices regarding games were not the best, stating, “I’ve passed on some real duds.” One example he provided was passing on both Destiny and Guitar Hero, which were initially offered to Xbox.

Destiny ‘Didn’t Really Click’ With Spencer for Years

Regarding Bungie’s popular shooter game, Destiny, Spencer mentioned that he didn’t find it appealing at first since he isn’t a big fan of Player versus Player (PVP) games. Interestingly, Destiny was more about cooperative play than PVP, and Spencer admitted that he truly understood the game after the 2015 launch of the House of Wolves expansion. Unfortunately, his initial indifference towards the game led him to decline the opportunity to publish it as early as 2013, a decision that eventually allowed Activision to take on the publishing duties for Destiny.

I’ve passed on some of the worst… like, made some of the worst game choice decisions.

In addition to acquiring Activision, they also obtained the rights to Harmonix’s popular game, “Guitar Hero,” which Xbox initially declined. Spencer, explaining their reasoning, mentioned that the concept of charging for both plastic guitars and individual songs seemed unlikely to succeed at first. He admitted his initial doubts were misplaced when he humorously commented about how “Guitar Hero” eventually turned out to be a good game. Today, this franchise is under Microsoft’s ownership, having been acquired as part of the 2023 Activision Blizzard purchase by the company.

Spencer Says He Has No Regrets About His Past Xbox Decisions

Spencer readily acknowledges that some of his previous choices were errors, but he firmly believes they don’t keep him awake at night. In a conversation during his Pax West 2024 presentation, he expressed, “I’m not the kind of person who dwells on regrets.” Instead, he prefers to focus on the collective achievements of the gaming industry rather than pondering on what might have been.

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2024-09-03 00:13