Xbox needs to improve its first-party games output, says Spencer

Xbox head Phil Spencer has said the platform holder still has “work to do” with its first-party games output.

The comments were made in a new interview with Fortune, in which Spencer added that he feels Xbox “haven’t done our best work over the past few years” with its first party output.

In recent years Xbox has launched a new initiative to significantly expand its portfolio of first-party studios.

As well as setting up The Initiative and a new Age of Empires studio, Xbox has recently acquired the likes of Ninja Theory (Hellblade), Playground (Forza Horizon), Obsidian (Fallout: New Vegas), InXile (Wasteland 3) and Double Fine (Psychonauts 2).

The growth plan has been put to action ahead of the 2020 arrival of Microsoft’s new console, Xbox Scarlett.

“Very few people turn on their Xbox to stare at the Dash… People turn on their Xbox to go play games,” Spencer said in the lengthy video interview.

“I think us having a strong first party at Xbox means that when I think about Xbox, I’m going to think about quality games.

“We have work to do there. We haven’t done our best work over the past few years with our first party output.”

Spencer said Xbox is consciously looking to improve its first-party operation, not only via acquisitions but also structural changes to how Microsoft looks at games.

“We made a conscious effort to invest in our first party,” he said. “Some of that is standing on stage and announcing the acquisition of studios, some of it is the hiring that we’re doing at the studios we already have.

“Some of it is ensuring that we have the right amount of time and we’re able to focus.

“Some of that is just the autonomy I have in running the games organisation now under Satya [Nadella, CEO] that allows us to look at game development for what it is… this weird mix of technology and art.

“And it’s not always easy to schedule those things and ensure we have the time to get things right.

“I know our fans want to see us do better and the teams are completely aligned behind that desire.”

Xbox studio The Initiative recently hired a group of God of War designers.