The radical change that XBOX’s CEO Asha Sharma has injected to the brand in her first year is perhaps equal parts exciting as it is frightening. New to the industry when she took the reigns, many expected her CV of AI-related work to bring down XBOX with unwanted, computer generated content ventures.
Fast forward many months, Sharma and XBOX have been making many moves to relaunch the brand entirely, with changes to studio structure including moving Halo to Activision and the closure / release of studios including Ninja Theory and Double Fine. Consolidation of well-regarded and profitable IP has been an ambition of Team XBOX, with a desire to maximise more, from a less-bloated portfolio.
Today, XBOX have placed a firm flag in the ground of their vision and intentions to grow XBOX IP beyond gaming with new division, XP. A play on the gaming term ‘experience points’, and will have four core ‘investment areas’, aimed at driving franchise reach, profitability and cultural relevance:
- XBOX PICTURES: Bringing our worlds and characters to new audiences through film, television, and other forms of linear storytelling.
- XBOX PRODUCTS: Creating products that are authentic to the fandom that allow fans to celebrate and express the franchises they love.
- XBOX PLACES: Bringing communities together through live events, immersive experiences, attractions, broadcasts, and destinations.
- XBOX PARTNERSHIPS: Working with creators, brands, and communities to develop new experiences, sponsorships, and brand partnerships.
Credit: XBOX Wire.
As XBOX has struggled with cultural relevance since the XBOX 360 era, the platform and its leaders are clearly eager to recapture some of the zeitgeist they used to own. With in-person events and attractions, XBOX will bring their IP to the flesh at the likes of theme parks and more. The XBOX FanFest programme continues throughout this years 25th anniversary celebrations, possibly a sign of things to come.
Despite mixed performance from game to screen titles, with the Halo TV series being a flop; Fallout on Amazon Prime and the Minecraft movie have been huge successes for XBOX companies, Mojang and Bethesda. With a Gears of War movie in production at Netflix and more game to screen projects inevitably in the works, under XP this is evidently a priority diversification stream.
The new XBOX division will be headed by Kayleen Walters, who takes the role as President, leaving her role at Minecraft studio, Mojang behind. Walters CV also includes over a decade working on the Star Wars property with Lucasfilm. Filling the gap left by Walters, Maria Angelidou-Smith will join Team XBOX as CEO of both Mojang and it’s Minecraft.
What projects would you like to see from XBOX XP? A Crackdown TV show, or is that just me? Come and join the active and friendly Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about all your favourite games.
