Phil Spencer's resignation as head of Microsoft Gaming may have been sudden. This was reported by Greg Miller from Kinda Funny Games.
Spencer, who worked at Microsoft for decades and headed the gaming division, announced his retirement. Leadership passed to Asha Sharma, and Sarah Bond left her position as president of Xbox. The timing of the announcement raises questions: this year Xbox turns 25 and there are major project releases ahead.
According to Miller, the decision was not planned in advance. The reasons for the departure are not officially disclosed. It is noted that Sharma previously headed the CoreAI direction at Microsoft. Against this background, some associate the personnel changes with the company's increased focus on the development of AI. There is also an opinion that saying goodbye to Spencer would have looked more logical at a major event like Summer Game Fest or the Halo anniversary.
Matt Booty, recently appointed director of content, stated that the reorganization will not affect game studios. The plans include the releases of Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Gears of War: E-Day.
