In late 2024, Microsoft debuted a new marketing campaign called "This is an Xbox," showcasing various devices that were definitely not Xbox consoles. From TVs to laptops, and even VR headsets, everything was being branded this way as part of an ecosystem play to make Xbox synonymous with gaming anywhere. The ads have since been killed for good, and we now know that Asha Sharma was behind them.
Once-great Xbox exclusives like Halo, Forza, Gears of War, and even the upcoming Fable are all coming to PlayStation, at a time when Sony is pivoting away from PC to bolster its console. The cost of focusing on hardware first is often borne by consumers, so it's a pick-your-poison situation in the current economic climate. Nintendo might be the only console maker left that's not apprehensive.
Speaking of the future, Sharma was appointed head of Microsoft Gaming earlier this year after long-time veterans Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond left the outfit. Sharma comes from an AI background, which raised even more concerns given Microsoft's insistence on pushing AI everywhere. But she's reportedly leading a massive reset for the Xbox brand internally that, so far, signals a return to consoles and hardware.
That's important because sales for Xbox, especially this generation, have been nothing special; fewer Xbox Series consoles have shipped than the Xbox One at the same point in their life cycles. It's too late to turn that around, especially with all the external factors, so Sharma's focus is on Project Helix, which is still a PC-console hybrid — but likely one that's proud of its hardware rather than merely an access point to the Xbox platform as a whole.
Follow 3DTested on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.
