Microsoft has been heavily criticised after announcing the closure of multiple game studios, as it’s forced to redact the marketiing for
After Microsoft announced the closure of studios including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, goodwill around the Xbox brand feels like it’s hit a new low.
It doesn’t help that these closures come after a huge amount of layoffs at Microsoft earlier this year, which affected over 1,900 jobs across Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and other first party developers.
As such, many people online have highlighted the hypocrisies in Microsoft’s messaging around the Xbox prior to these shutdowns – with Xbox president Sarah Bond forced to delete one of her tweets.
In a Twitter post on Monday May 6, a day before the studio closures were announced, Bond shared a tweet from Xbox senior social media manager Joshua Stein, which read: ‘One team united in a passion for developers, community, and games. Xbox Bethesda Activision Blizzard King.’ Bond shared the tweet with various heart emojis.
Following the news on May 7, many began to question how much ‘passion for developers’ a trillion dollar company truly has if it can shut down relatively small game studios in a bid to boost its profit margins. Not long afterwards, the tweet was deleted.
It seems impossible that, given her position, Bond didn’t know about the closures a day before they happened, and yet still replied the post with an Xbox green coloured heart.
At time of writing, Bond, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, and head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty have not commented on the shutdowns on Twitter or elsewhere.
Microsoft has also come under fire over a blog post advertising a new Fire Vapor Special Edition Xbox controller, which came with the tagline ‘Feel the Burn’. While this would have been passed over on any normal day, the fact it was posted hours before the studio shutdowns sparked some criticism.
‘That’s how you know when a company is tone deaf,’ one tweet in response read.
The title of the blog post has since been amended to ‘Introducing the Fire Vapor Special Edition Controller’ – so clearly Microsoft thought it was in bad taste too.
While these are only small, awkward moments in the grand scheme of things, it’s all reflective of a company which doesn’t in feel in sync with its messaging or its audience.
Microsoft likely won’t comment on these changes until the Xbox Showcase on June 9, when it is expected to reveal the next Call Of Duty and Gears Of War.
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