Microsoft’s new gaming CEO Asha Sharma has responded to concerns surrounding her background in AI, as well as her lack of previous gaming-related roles.
Sharma was announced to be taking over from Phil Spencer following Friday’s shock news that the Xbox head would be retiring from Microsoft after nearly 40 years with the company. Sarah Bond, who many had presumed would eventually succeed Spencer, also announced she would be leaving Xbox at this same time.
When word came out that Sharma would be taking over as Xbox’s head of gaming, many raised concerns about her background in AI (Sharma was previously Microsoft’s president of CoreAI). However, Sharma has now seeked to calm these concerns, stating to Variety she has “no tolerance” for what she classifies as “bad” AI.
“AI has long been part of gaming and will continue to be,” Sharma told the publication, stating that industry needs new “growth engines”. That said, the new Xbox head added “great stories are created by humans”, and not by machines.
As for her lack of professional roles within the gaming sector specifically, on the announcement of her new position Sharma made “three commitments” to the Xbox community: “Great games”, the “return of Xbox”, and the “future of play”. She has since affirmed that she wants Xbox to tell stories that make people “feel something” when they play, complete with “deep emotional resonance” and a “distinct point of view”. Sharma cited Campo Santo’s 2016 first-person mystery Firewatch as a game that had this kind of impact on her.
Sharma admitted she had “a lot to learn” in her new role within the gaming industry, however she is committed to “being grounded in what the community is telling” Xbox. “I’m coming into gaming as a platform builder,” she said, with her goal to “earn the right to be trusted by players and developers”. She will do this by demonstrating “consistency” over time, Sharma added.
We can expect to hear more about what Xbox has in store next month, during the annual GDC conference, Sharma said, before teasing some bigger announcements to come during an Xbox Games Showcase this spring.
For more, over the weekend Sarah Bond shared her farewell to Xbox staff, where said she will “remain on as a Special Advisor to Asha to help ensure a smooth transition,” but stressed, “this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally”.
