PHIL SPENCER'S GREATEST MISSES: THE ART OF killing BILLION-DOLLAR FRANCHISES
Xbox boss Phil Spencer just opened up about his decision-making skills, and holy shit, it's a doozy. Turns out, the man behind the green machine has a track record of passing on some of gaming's biggest franchises. Let's dive into this clusterfuck, shall we?
DESTINY: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Spencer admitted that Destiny, Bungie's loot-shooter juggernaut, "didn't really click" with him at first. It took until the House of Wolves expansion for him to get it. By then, Activision had already scooped up the publishing rights. Oops.
GUITAR HERO: SPENCER'S TONE-DEAF DECISION
Remember Guitar Hero? The plastic guitar phenomenon that had everyone playing air guitar in their living rooms? Yeah, Spencer passed on that too. He thought a game with plastic guitars wouldn't work. Spoiler alert: it fucking did.
THE KING OF BAD DECISIONS
Spencer's not shy about his fuck-ups. In his own words: "I've passed on some of the worst... like, made some of the worst game-choice decisions." No shit, Sherlock. It's like he's got a sixth sense for identifying future hits and then running in the opposite direction.
NO REGRETS, JUST VIBES
Despite his track record of missed opportunities that would make even EA blush, Spencer claims he's not a "regrets-type person." Must be nice to sleep at night after passing on billion-dollar franchises, Phil.
THE XBOX STRATEGY: THROW SHIT AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT STICKS
While Spencer's been busy not buying successful franchises, let's not forget some of Xbox's other stellar decisions:
Giving 343 Industries free rein to drive Halo into the ground
Letting Redfall launch in a state that would make Cyberpunk 2077 blush
Almost shutting down Tango Gameworks after they made Hi-Fi Rush, the best-received Xbox game in years
THE BOTTOM LINE
Look, we all make mistakes. But when your mistakes involve passing on some of the biggest franchises in gaming history, maybe it's time to reevaluate your decision-making process. Or, you know, hire someone who can actually spot a good game when they see one.
At this rate, Spencer's next move will probably be passing on the next Half-Life game because "he doesn't think people are into sci-fi shooters anymore." Keep up the great work, Phil. You're really nailing this whole "running a gaming company" thing.