The recent upheavals at Xbox have sparked a major reaction within the video game industry. Thomas Mahler, the CEO of Moon Studios, knows Microsoft well, having developed the two Ori games under its leadership.
In a post on X, Mahler reflected on this week’s events. For him, all of this is merely “the beginning of a much larger reset across the industry.” He also believes that this realignment could ultimately benefit the entire sector and gamers alike.
He then reflected on his experience during his years working with Xbox.
“Xbox has struggled for a long time to identify, empower, and protect the key creative people and teams who could have kept the brand at the top.
Even when we were making Ori with Xbox, it was clear that the main focus was still Halo, Gears, and Forza – even though gamer excitement around Halo and Gears had already cooled heavily after Bungie and Epic moved on from those franchises. The newer installments simply didn’t reproduce the same cultural impact those series once had.
[…] I emailed Phil plenty of times making my argument that Xbox should have their eyes on delivering magical experiences for kids and families as well, like Disney and Nintendo always have. Ori and Moon could’ve been the start of something new, but the powers to be were probably too focused on the past for that to happen.
[…] Microsoft still owns an absolutely insane catalogue of franchises. The potential is still enormous. […] Xbox should be one of the strongest publishers in the world. With the brands Microsoft owns, that should honestly be fairly straightforward.
But nostalgia alone is not enough. Nostalgia can get people to look into your direction, but after that, you still have to deliver the goods. You still have to make products that get players genuinely excited. Products that make gamers literally salivate. And to do that, Xbox has to bet on the right people.”
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
