Microsoft and Xbox, it's a long epic that we have detailed in a series of files as part of the 20 years of Xbox. While the X-Box project was launched somewhat underwater at Microsoft before being validated by Bill Gates at the time, gaming now occupies a special place within the company. And for its boss, the brand today seems to be at a level of activity that is healthier than ever.
The Xbox business is healthier than ever
The very first Xbox was a test, the Xbox 360 was the confirmation, the Xbox One was close to industrial disaster and the Xbox Series was the new beginning. Microsoft has also bought a number of studios in recent years to expand its game offering, and has made no less than the largest acquisition in the sector with Activision Blizzard King.
But it is obviously necessary to make such a buyout profitable, and the video game sector has not really been happy over the last two years for developers who attract millions of people. Many studios have been affected and at Microsoft alone, 10,000 layoffs were announced in 2023 followed by more than 2,500 others in 2024, including a large majority at Activision Blizzard.
However, the video game sector is growing and today weighs more than cinema and music combined. While the remuneration of Microsoft bosses is exploding, we can wonder what could be wrong with all this and why thousands of people are losing their jobs when the dividends paid to shareholders are counted in billions of dollars.
The answer is undoubtedly to be found in terms of maximum profitability, and we know that Xbox has long been a branch of Microsoft that consumes quite a bit of investment. But for his boss, Phil Spencer, things seem healthier today. Following the acquisition of Activision, the elimination of more than 2,500 jobs and the closure of three studios, Phil Spencer seems more optimistic for 2025.
“The Xbox business has never been healthier. The company is performing well right now, and I think that means a healthier future for the hardware and games we make. »
New consoles and more games on other devices
Phil Spencer cited the growth of cloud gaming, PC gaming and console usage as healthy indicators. The Xbox boss was also optimistic about the growth of mobile games, ensuring that to reach new players, the company had to be creative and adapt to new business models.
Remember that Xbox must always unveil “exciting things” in the field of hardware during the end-of-year holidays, and that the project for a portable Xbox has been confirmed. The brand also reiterated that it would continue to create new Xbox consoles, that it would release other games on PlayStation and Nintendo and that Halo was not excluded. Xbox has changed, and now exports to all possible screens and devices.
