Microsoft CEO Nadella: Xbox May Get Sold
Microsoft CEO Nadella may end up selling off the Xbox division, but the decision hasn’t been made yet. For the moment it’s not looking good, even though some signs point to Microsoft having no intention of abandoning or selling the console manufacturing division.
After buying the Gears of War franchise and ensuring an exclusive from this point on, as well as the mention of Halo remaining a major selling point for years to come, it doesn’t make sense for Microsoft to sell off Xbox for now.
The recent console wars have shown us, however, that Microsoft apparently planned too far ahead and ignored what the gamers want right now. Between the permanently limited hard drive and the Killer Instinct tournament in New York proving that the DRM was never really removed, Microsoft seemed to care more for their vision of “the future” and less for what their consumers wanted. Putting a 500GB hard drive on a console with games clocking in at nearly 50GB each is not conducive to a bright future.
Recently appointed Microsoft CEO Nadella has shown very little interest in focusing on the future of gaming, which could mean that the Xbox name could be sold to another major manufacturer. Google is one such company which has shown an interest in console gaming, and if they do, it could spell good news for future Xbox One owners. Google regularly updates their Android hardware requirements, so they might upgrade Microsoft’s next gen console so it’s more adaptable to future needs. Plus they might be able to cut the costs and deliver a more competitive console at a more competitive price.
Of course that’s all speculation at this point, since Microsoft CEO Nadella hasn’t mentioned anything about the Xbox division, and some are already saying he has no intention of doing so. It only raises questions that haven’t been answered yet. Satya Nadella is first and foremost a businessman, and as such, will likely trim the non-essentials to focus on Microsoft’s strength: its software development.
What’s the future of Xbox & Nokia under new CEO Satya Nadella? http://t.co/hVx7jd1q1b via @PCMag – It’s a, “mobile & cloud-first world.”
— Chris Rauschnot (@24k) February 9, 2014
This means Bing and Surface could also be sold as Satya Nadella focuses on making Microsoft more profitable. Xbox, Bing, and Surface have all been shown to be like anchors on a ship trying to cross the Atlantic. They are weighing the company down, and it only makes sense to sell the divisions to another company which might have better luck.
Even the investors are realizing this, and some such as ValuAct have been urging Microsoft to reorganize the company almost from the ground up. Though Microsoft denies it influenced the decision, ValuAct suggested that Ballmer step down, and it happened.
Until Microsoft CEO Nadella announces otherwise, we can only assume that he will continue on the path suggested by investors and sell Xbox.
With the PlayStation 4 being rumored as upgrading their hardware with AMD Mantle technology, this could be a smart move for Microsoft. Xbox One hasn’t been very well received, and putting another company in charge of it could be the best thing that ever happened to the next gen console.
