Xbox and Microsoft explained their latest shift of departments and staff heads, due to the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
From massive layoffs to countless restructuring of gaming companies, Xbox recently detailed how they have shifted priorities and formed new teams. An internal email from Xbox president Sarah Bond, as reported by Windows Central, explained that two new teams have been formed dedicated to experiences and platforms, as well as game preservation. As part of the shuffle, CVP of Xbox Emerging Technologies Kareem Choudhry has also left after 26 years.
The Emerging Technologies team is a fairly new one that has been dabbling in the AI space; they will now be moved under the hardware division. This department will be led by Roanne Sones in order to “accelerate innovation in that space.” This team was previously led by Choudhry, who was previously the CVP of cloud gaming and oversaw the green team’s beginnings in the games streaming area.
The first of two new teams is the Xbox Experiences and Platforms, which was said to be focused on improving the overall user experience on its consoles and Windows. This team is led by Ashley McKissick and Kevin Gammill. The second new team was described in more detail from Bond as a team focused on ensuring titles are playable on future Xbox devices.
“We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself,” Bond wrote. “We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.” She concluded the email with some thoughts on the company’s progress and recognizing the achievements they have accomplished, and how they hope to push the boundaries in next-gen tech hardware.
Other changes at Xbox and Microsoft included Catherine Gluckstein heading up the Strategy and Regulatory team, while Jennifer Creegan moves from Microsoft Advertising to lead Microsoft Gaming’s analytics and business planning. Many of these changes to Microsoft are heavily impacted by the integration of Activision Blizzard. Signs of major change came in January when 1,900 staff members were let go.
There have been narratives of Xbox struggling to keep up with the hardware and game features that other major tech companies have established. It appears that Sony and Nintendo have really found solid footing in the gaming space for the past decade, while the green machine has seen an instability in its technological missteps. But, like many companies, it has been changing and evolving. Some of these adaptations included the announcement from Phil Spencer on ending some exclusivity on their games, and some speculation that Xbox may be experimenting and developing a handheld console.
