Bond gave an extremely evasive answer that only touched the surface of the issue: the gaming industry is entering a period of stagnation, and the biggest “players” in the market are striving to maximize profits as much as possible. Company management is focused on maintaining a “healthy” business, while the teams at Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios fell victim to these changes, sparking a huge backlash from the community.
Dina Bass: “Earlier this week Xbox announced the closure of four video game studios. I know you don’t directly run those studios, but how should we, as gamers, understand this move in the context of Microsoft’s commitment to making innovative exclusive games?”
Sarah Bond: “Yeah, you know, it’s always extraordinarily hard when you have to make decisions like that. I go back to what I was saying about the industry. When we looked at those fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services we offer, are there through moments. Even when the industry isn’t growing, when you’re through a time of transition. The news we announced earlier this week is an outcome of that, of our commitment to making sure that the business is healthy for the long run.”
Bond emphasized that Xbox employees are currently focused on providing the maximum possible support to the developers affected by the layoffs and restructuring.
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Cover image author: Bloomberg. Cover image source: YouTube