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Xbox's boss, Phil Spencer, has met Giant Bomb, GameSpot's sister site, for a lengthy interview at E3 2019, and the executive has shared a lot of interesting information about the Xbox. Of course, he had a lot to say because Microsoft had just announced a new console, Project Scarlett, and was detailing more the new game streaming service, xCloud.
In his 40-minute interview, Spencer also discussed the competition between Sony and Nintendo, saying that, while wanting the Xbox to be No. 1, he thought that everyone could win at the same time and work together to improve the profile general games. He said that he did not see the company as a fight, but rather as an opportunity to create things that people love.
He wants to eliminate the "friction" that exists between his competitors. Recent examples include the arrival of Banjo at Smash Bros. Ultimate and collaboration between Sony and Microsoft on cloud streaming technology. He also cited The Master Chief Collection to give the example of Microsoft doing something new by bringing the PC game to Steam.
As for Project Scarlett and the PlayStation 4, Spencer said he wanted the Xbox to be No. 1 and that it be "as competitive as anyone else." But that does not mean that he wants to see Sony suffer.
Regarding the Scarlett project, Spencer said the raw power is "very important". He does not know how the Scarlett project's specifications compare to those of the PS5. We expect them to be similar, so in the end, the competition could be summed up in price and brand loyalty. Whatever it is, Spencer said that Microsoft "was aiming for first place," and that the Xbox team is committed to becoming a leader in the console category.
Spencer also explained that Microsoft did not expect Scarlett to be the final console of the company. He added that Microsoft did not yet know what form the next system would take, but Microsoft, as a company, is committed to making more hardware after Scarlett. He also does not commit to a timetable, saying that there is no regular pace for launching new equipment. The challenge for Microsoft is to think about what will be the next evolution of the game, and then design a console for that.
In addition, Spencer said in the interview that Microsoft had not yet chosen a name for Project Scarlett. "Honestly, I do not know the name, we do not have a list of names," he said. According to rumors, Project Scarlett would be the dominant name in Microsoft's next-generation console strategy, including both a high-end system, named Anaconda, and a low-specification model, apparently called Lockhart. Microsoft has so far only spoken of the high-end model.
And with regard to the Scarlett project awards, Spencer said that Microsoft had a "window" to look at, but nothing was locked yet. A problem that could complicate matters is President Trump's proposed 25% tariff for electronic products made in China and shipped to the United States, Spencer said. Nintendo has just moved China's Nintendo Switch production to Southeast Asia in order to avoid potential tariffs.
Also in the in-depth dialogue, Spencer explained how compatibility with earlier versions is important for the generation of the Scarlett project. He stated that he wanted to respect purchases made by users of older platforms. Project Scarlett will support "thousands" of games from four generations of Xbox systems. However, not all older games are running on the Scarlett project due to licensing agreements and other commercial agreements. However, Spencer said that new Microsoft agreements with current developers and publishers are more reflective of backward compatibility. Publishers and developers are now seeing the value of existing content, said Spencer, and these issues play a role in the new licensing agreements.
Spencer also talked about the Xbox Game Pass, and he explained that this creates a situation in which developers can use Xbox, especially because they know that they can run a game in a catalog that has million subscribers who are only at a game button. At the same time, this could pose a new challenge to some developers because they have to make sure that their back-end infrastructure is able to potentially supporting millions of people playing immediately, Spencer said.
The Microsoft executive also talked about xCloud, the new Xbox game streaming service launched in October. Spencer said that it would probably remain for a few years before streaming became the most popular and widespread way of playing video games. For the time being, and in the foreseeable future, Spencer said that playing games on local hardware at home would be the best way to experience new games such as Cyberpunk 2077, which Spencer specifically mentioned. However, those who want to play games on the move on their phone or other device and are OK with comparatively lower resolutions and frame rates, can do so with xCloud.
Curiously, Spencer also indicated that he was seeing a number of interesting possibilities emerge when Xbox streaming was taking off, namely that users could rent their systems to serve as streaming boxes to others. people. It remains to be seen how this would work, but Spencer has evoked a possible future scenario in which people could theoretically let strangers "rent" their local box to broadcast it when the main user is away. Spencer said he was excited about the opportunity to streamline to create additional value for consumers beyond traditional means, and this is a potential example.
Finally, Spencer talked about the current relevance of E3. He said the show remained relevant and important to the video game world. It is a time of year when the whole world is watching games, and it is very important today, when the industry is under the stress of criticism and the judgment. According to Spencer, one of the recent threats is the designation by the World Health Organization of gambling disorder as a recognized disease. He also said that the E3 is an important time of year to show the world that the game is not just for children in the basement. And without the behemoths like Sony and Activision, E3 could win, in terms of notoriety, said Spencer.
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