Emotions are running high during a panic, everyone is posting angry comments and the next generation game consoles aren't even out yet.
Aggressive and sometimes toxic rhetoric over the console wars isn't new to gaming culture — and it's prone to be exacerbated with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on their way. But it's time to move past that, says Phil Spencer, Xbox chief and Microsoft's executive vice president of gaming.
"This idea that in order for the industry to grow, some companies must succeed and others must fail … it doesn't help gaming reach the potential it should," Spencer tells The Post. "We should be driven to help gaming as an industry grow, for creators to take the biggest risks they can. When a great game comes out, we should applaud it, whether it's for PC, or PlayStation or on a Switch."
Spencer said he doesn't imagine movie executives hope for another studio's project to fail.
"We should focus on this industry that we love and see it continue to grow. And we should protect it from the issues that it does have," said Spencer, adding that recent conversations around accessibility, inclusivity and addressing toxic, harmful communities have highlighted what truly undermines the industry. "If we're going to spend energy, let's go spend it on those things, not 'my piece of plastic is better than your piece of plastic.' I don't think that's a productive conversation."
Spencer's view on this isn't new. After all, he's spent the last half-decade moving in that direction, and thereby distinguishing the Xbox brand from the rest of the competition. The upcoming Xbox Series X is a big deal, but it's no longer the only star of Microsoft's gaming strategy, and it's going to take some time for its fans to adjust. Microsoft is less interested in ruling a single platform like consoles, and more about bringing the Xbox to as many platforms as possible.
