From Guitar Hero to Destiny, Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer recounts some of the missed opportunities for big publishing and partner deals for the Xbox brand.
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Like most hit-based industries, no one knows what games will actually do well. The interactive entertainment space is full of unknowns, but gaming leads to a distinct type of guesswork and hindsight-fueled rumination. Mega-hits can come out of nowhere thanks to viral social media or a unique hook, whether it be Halo with RPG elements (Destiny) or plastic guitars simulating a more complex game of Simon (Guitar Hero).
At PAX 2024, Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer gives us a rare look at what it’s like to make these kinds of long-reaching decisions that a games executive not only has to make, but live with. Which games do you sign? Which companies do you make deals with? There’s wins and then there’s misses…and for Phil Spencer, there’s …