„Whoever came up with this clearly doesn’t play games.” Ex-Blizzard president harshly criticizes Microsoft’s bizarre idea

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Many gamers are feeling uneasy about Microsoft’s recent actions, particularly the price increase for Xbox Game Pass. This change frustrated a lot of players, leading many to cancel their subscriptions.

Recently, a Microsoft ad campaign sparked some debate and confusion. The campaign suggested that all electronics are essentially Xboxes and that gamers are receiving messages directly from the Xbox platform. Even a former Microsoft VP publicly criticized the campaign’s slogan.

Mike Ybarra, who used to lead Blizzard and was a VP at Xbox, criticized Microsoft’s recent marketing campaign, particularly the slogan “This is an Xbox.” He responded to a fan comment about the Windows operating system on the Xbox ROG Ally, saying the campaign doesn’t make sense. Ybarra believes the slogan—which focuses on the system and Game Pass rather than the hardware—was a poorly timed idea. He emphasized that gamers are primarily interested in the games themselves, not the features of the device.

Let’s scrap the “This is a Xbox” campaign. It’s a misstep, and not what gamers want right now. Xbox has always been about the games themselves – that’s what matters most. If the console experience isn’t equal to playing on other devices, it doesn’t really feel like an Xbox. Honestly, this whole idea seems to come from someone who doesn’t understand gaming.

Ybarra pointed out that Microsoft has been facing challenges due to a lack of a clear strategy. While they’ve shifted away from focusing on exclusive games and are trying to create a more unified brand, the company seems stuck and unable to recover, which is hindering efforts to avoid further job cuts.

Mike Ybarra expressed frustration, saying it feels like things are constantly getting worse. He described a cycle of repeated issues, stating, “It just feels like they keep pushing the needles in further and further. I’m not seeing things improve – it’s just more problems piling on.”

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2025-10-21 11:04