Not knowing the difference between a PR role and a business executive role is a ERA meme, right?
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
VGC Chronicles: Phil Spencer Is the Person of the year
- Thread starter Jimmy1984
- Start date
- Status
Phil has been an outstanding presence in gaming over the last couple years. Yes, he's selling a product, but unless I'm mistaken he's also making major decisions around the XBox brand, and that brand has seen a massive turn-around. He's been part of launching GamePass, pushing for cross-platform play, and "Gaming is for Everyone" initiatives. Some recent interviews with him he speaks pretty candidly about being anti-console-tribalism, and promoting inclusiveness, accessibility, and safety in gaming.
Everybody saying the title belongs to a Developer or Creator over him, who would you nominate and why?
Everybody saying the title belongs to a Developer or Creator over him, who would you nominate and why?
Phil has been amazing for gaming, literally reinventing the Xbox platforms and delivering on his promises over and over.
I can't wait until 2023/2024 to see his vision truly realised with all of the devs they've invested in.
Can't really understand why people in here dislike him, competition is great for us consumers guys!!
I can't wait until 2023/2024 to see his vision truly realised with all of the devs they've invested in.
Can't really understand why people in here dislike him, competition is great for us consumers guys!!
It's fine to disagree with VGCs article and offer up alternative people you'd like to have seen get recognized. It's strange to see some people so emotionally invested in it though. Phil really brings out the worst in some here. Why is that?
Don't worry, I see just as much Sony fanboys, you should be fine.
yup it's just awkward timing keeping up with the threads. Just some things I don't think the industry at large is aware of or will acknowledge when it comes to things like this. Shrugs*
I think people confuse someone who underwent PR training and someone who works in PR? It's very confusing.
Because he answers questions in industry Q&As and tweets from time to time... and he says things about the brand journalists run with. It's an odd way of looking at things, but to some news generation = PR?
Getting some mileage out of that one.
Well deserved though absolutely astounding what he has accomplished.
Do they explain why? I feel like he talks a lot but has yet to deliver. He took charge years agfo and MS still has a pretty poor first party showing year after year, spending billions in new studios is not mi idea of great management.
He turned the ship around and created a service that stays in the news cycle non stop.
He canceled what would have been hot garbage (scale bound/ fable legends) and is putting together a stable of solid tiltes that take time to produce.
But for whatever reason people don't want to give Microsoft the same time to produce games as they give other companies.
It's almost as if the industry is more than just AAA exclusives.
Yes, over 50 million gamers bought a console with no games /s.
Flight Sim, Wasteland 3, Ori, Minecraft Dungeons, Grounded, Tell Me Why.... 2020 was farrrrrrr from "poor" for Microsoft's first-party. Stop it.
Gears tactics too. All that and the fact that he is pushing just flat out games more than anything should be celebrated imo. Why does it have to be a first party exclusive when it can just be more available or easier for me to have access to it via game pass
Also people really don't know about the offers that didn't get taken. Google and Amazon have publicly announced their entry into gaming, and the former has even launched a service. It's insane to me to think that they somehow weren't in the conversation on the Zenimax deal. If I was a major shareholder and found out they didn't put their hat in the ring on something like that when trying to launch a product in that industry, I'd be livid.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't Google or Amazon that bought them!" doesn't tell me that Microsoft walked into a room and said "here's a check, let's make this happen." It tells me that they were likely just outbid.
I guess 2018 could be considered "years ago" if you're like really, really young or something?
Ah yes. Gears Tactics was great. So is Gears 5: Hivebusters. Microsoft had a great year, first-party wise. Some people won't count it because Minecraft Dungeons, Wasteland 3, and Ori weren't exclusive or Flight Sim wasn't on consoles.... whatever. It's all Microsoft published.
Isnt it obvious? Those games dont count because they arent AAA third person games.
All of them didn't score 80+ meta either so you know they are bad games lmao. What's weird is flight sim was one of the highest scoring meta games. Idk this whole no games thing is wild to me
And on top of that he's said nothing about their consoles being made by Uyghur slave labor. None of these execs (from ANY of the big three) deserve person of the year lmao.
Folks,
Phil is at least someone who has his head in the right place.
I don't even think he'd care much for being called out as the 'games industries person of the year'. Whenever I talked to him he seemed like someone who doesn't have ego issues. He's just a genuine dude who can be reasoned with.
And I'd guess that games like Ori wouldn't have made it all the way through production if he wouldn't have thrown his hat into the ring a few times.
So, think of him as an executive what you want, but I always saw him as someone who actually has passion for gaming, who really thinks that games matter and aren't just a way to make a quick buck. And having someone like that as the head of a platform is a good thing in my book.
I think it's a little unfair to make him responsible for every Microsoft shortcoming. Microsoft, hell, even the Xbox branch itself is a giant corporation and there's no way that one person is responsible for all decisions being made. And yeah, there are things MS did that I'm critical about, but I wouldn't feel comfortable slandering his name so easily.
Phil is at least someone who has his head in the right place.
I don't even think he'd care much for being called out as the 'games industries person of the year'. Whenever I talked to him he seemed like someone who doesn't have ego issues. He's just a genuine dude who can be reasoned with.
And I'd guess that games like Ori wouldn't have made it all the way through production if he wouldn't have thrown his hat into the ring a few times.
So, think of him as an executive what you want, but I always saw him as someone who actually has passion for gaming, who really thinks that games matter and aren't just a way to make a quick buck. And having someone like that as the head of a platform is a good thing in my book.
I think it's a little unfair to make him responsible for every Microsoft shortcoming. Microsoft, hell, even the Xbox branch itself is a giant corporation and there's no way that one person is responsible for all decisions being made. And yeah, there are things MS did that I'm critical about, but I wouldn't feel comfortable slandering his name so easily.
I don't think I get the Phil hype, he has been in the top seat for years and Xbox still trials behind.
Didn't Xbox have its most successful years with Don Matrick? I know he was the fall guy for the 2013 mess, but I doubt that was all on him, not to mention the software and was more interesting back then.
Didn't Xbox have its most successful years with Don Matrick? I know he was the fall guy for the 2013 mess, but I doubt that was all on him, not to mention the software and was more interesting back then.
I'm confused that people seem to think Phil Spencer does nothing except sit at his desk giving interviews? Phil Spencer is a key leader of Microsoft, has pushed the industry forward as the primary champion of Game Pass, has driven adoption of cloud-based gaming solutions - which we've gone from deriding to accepting within the span of a year (despite them existing in the market for many many years beforehand - which I think is a testament to his work). More generally, I think it's a testament to his work that average Xbox gamers love him. Whatever media, influencers, or people on other platforms may think - that counts for a lot IMO.
(And I won't bother getting into the argument, but I think he's done a pretty good job with bringing Xbox back from the brink and delivering quite a few EXCELLENT software experiences this year. Not gonna sit here and tell you it's the best lineup of the year. But I will confidently say it's been overlooked, underrated, and great fun throughout.)
It also confuses me and truly truly vexes me to no end when RESETERA criticizes Phil Spencer for being corporate PR when he tries to espouse a better, friendlier, less abusive vision for gaming. Like, has he single handedly destroyed toxicity in gaming? No. Apparently that makes him a useless mouthpiece for trying... wtf...
(And I won't bother getting into the argument, but I think he's done a pretty good job with bringing Xbox back from the brink and delivering quite a few EXCELLENT software experiences this year. Not gonna sit here and tell you it's the best lineup of the year. But I will confidently say it's been overlooked, underrated, and great fun throughout.)
It also confuses me and truly truly vexes me to no end when RESETERA criticizes Phil Spencer for being corporate PR when he tries to espouse a better, friendlier, less abusive vision for gaming. Like, has he single handedly destroyed toxicity in gaming? No. Apparently that makes him a useless mouthpiece for trying... wtf...
She'd just end up with more abuse for it. Everyone turned on her for one reason or another the last couple years. (She's still great, even if she's not perfect for EVERY role.)
Where does this PR guy myth come from? As far as I'm aware he has never held a PR role within Microsoft. He certainly doesn't speak like a PR person or any other person within a similar role in interviews.
OP
OP
Cause there are many PS fans. It's really hard to them see some awards outside PlayStation. They'll probably be very hangry when Xbox Will announce the First Bethesda's exclusives only on Xbox/PC.
I mean, i'm PC Gamer and i really liked Horizon zero dawn: when i see a good game made by a Great developer i have to Admit that. For some people it's hard to Say something good about the Xbox brand.
Why the hell are people so against this? Leave the man alone, FFS. Phil seems cool enough for this award. Xbox is in a way different place compared to the Mattrick days... I'd give an award to anyone who turns that shit around.
Personally, it's very likely that I'll be getting my first Xbox this gen due to his efforts. There's some upcoming stuff that seems incredibly exciting on the Xbox side as well.
Personally, it's very likely that I'll be getting my first Xbox this gen due to his efforts. There's some upcoming stuff that seems incredibly exciting on the Xbox side as well.
OP
OP
For everyone Who's seeing Spencer as a Simply PR, please read this beautiful article
www.gamespot.com
Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is
How the head of Xbox is preparing for the future.
www.gamespot.com
Because it seems hard to have a thread about positive Xbox news without it getting shit up. Not even one about their head executive receiving a fairly inconsequential award gets a pass.
Anyway, congrats to Spencer. He may not be known as the programming genius that Iwata was, but like Iwata he worked himself up the ladder from an engineering position to head honcho. He's been with Microsoft for over 30 years. His entire career. That's not something you see a lot in the IT business outside of Japan. And it speaks volumes about how much the man loves his job. Watching the Giant Bomb interviews, I get a sense of genuinity from the guy. It's not very often you get that out of an executive. Like Iwata, it just feels like video games has been a long-time passion of his.
It was 2014? Even if you want to weirdly cherry-pick him being promoted on Microsoft's board, that was 2017 lol.
I've read that article, it's really good. Phil deserves this and much more. Satya and Phil combo is the best.For everyone Who's seeing Spencer as a Simply PR, please read this beautiful article
Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is
How the head of Xbox is preparing for the future.
Thanks for your insights and Ori which is my GOTY. :)
You can guess something is wrong with the thread when the game director from one of the most successful studios of the year came here to support Phil.
Yup, might as well think that any exec or leader (in any field) is a PR man. He manages a multi-billion dollar business, oversaw a massive shift in the business model (sales of individual titles -> Gamepass), has oversight for the production of over 20 studios, and just led to the launch of two simultaneous and different consoles and he's just a PR guy in the eyes of many posters. It's such a ridiculously uninformed take.
He has done a great job with the Xbox brand, but I think a lot of people take issue with the good guy Phil stuff that happens here, as if he's without fault.
I'm not a huge fan myself and think he gets away with some stuff that others would be taken to task on, but only a fool would say he hasn't been a positive influence on Xbox.
it's a video game news/review site (you know, like ign, gamespot, etc), formed by ex-CVG people. the site started in 2019 and i think this is the first time they're selecting a person of the year.
- Status