Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s gaming division, recently shared his perspective on the company’s stance towards game ownership. Contrary to what some might think, Spencer emphasized that Microsoft is not trying to discourage gamers from owning their beloved titles.
In a conversation with Xbox Era, Spencer clarified that their goal isn’t to push players entirely towards subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Instead, they aim to offer various ways for players to enjoy their games.
Addressing concerns about whether Microsoft is shifting focus from hardware to platforms, Spencer assured fans, “I’ve got an extensive library of games on my Xbox console, and I want to make sure I can always access and enjoy those titles.”
Reflecting on the future, he continued, “Will we continue producing hardware? Can we still play games as we’ve always done? Do I have to rely solely on renting games? Is purchasing still an option? Absolutely. We’ve always respected players’ collections with features like backward compatibility and Play Anywhere, and we’ll continue honoring that. Every game in Game Pass is available for purchase; our intention isn’t to steer everyone into a single business model. You should play the games how you prefer.”
Spencer acknowledged the necessity of running a profitable business, stating, “We’ll maintain our pricing and strategies, but what we really want is to provide as many options as we can for our games. This way, we reach even more players. Our embrace of Windows and Cloud gaming has spurred growth. Interestingly, one of our fastest-growing regions is Asia, thanks not to console sales, but access to games via cloud and PC. Cloud is currently our fastest-growing platform.”
