Former Xbox executive Peter Moore has weighed in on the big news recently that Asha Sharma has been named the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming.
Speaking to GamesBeat, Moore said Sharma "just needs to listen, learn" to begin her journey as the leader of Xbox. More said working alongside Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty will be a benefit to Sharma as well. He added that outgoing CEO Phil Spencer had great success visiting the Xbox development teams globally to learn "what it takes to manage creative heads and entrepreneurs," and Sharma would be smart do so something similar.
"I wish her all the best. She's in a position right now where--keep your head down. Fly low. Avoid the radar. Learn, listen. Spend a lot of time internally," he said. "Travel the world. Meet with the studio heads. Do the classic listening tour, which a lot of executives do. I think she'll be fine."
Sharma has faced immediate criticism for her background in AI, and Moore said she needs to "explain AI and her background" to the workers at Xbox. "That's a minefield. I would, for me, avoid talking about that if you possibly can. But I wish her all the best," he said.
Also in the interview, Moore said he's seen some of the "media criticism" that Sharma has received so far. "I'm watching her on social media ... trying to navigate the murky waters of gamers online and their opinions," he said.
Sharma shared her Gamertag online and was quickly criticized for her gamer cred. Moore pointed out that he came from Reebok before getting his first job in gaming at Sega, and that was OK for him at the time because "if you were selling sneakers, you could theoretically sell video games, because it was all teenage boys." Things have changed since then, however, Moore said.
"Imposter syndrome is real. You get in there and–if Asha isn't lying awake at 3 AM wondering A): What the hell did I get myself into, and B): What do I need to do to win over gamers, to not be fake or inauthentic, and to build a real cohesive strategy around not just Xbox, but Microsoft gaming as a whole--I'm sure she's going through a lot of that," Moore said.
Regarding AI, Moore said the technology is "despised by gamers right now" and Sharma should "expect" the Xbox community to have negative feelings about AI. At the same time, Moore said AI is not going away and Sharma needs to come up with a plan and effectively communicate it.
"Is she there because she's AI? Or is she there, which is my hope, because she's proven herself within Microsoft and been a very capable executive leader," Moore said.
He added that Sharma would be wise to communicate to Xbox fans that AI is "good for gaming" if it "serves the player, not the spreadsheet."
"She has to be able to explain that. The studios are all going to use artificial intelligence in one form or another. I don't think the gamer really understands what it all means and how things come together in that way," he said. "But I think she has that great opportunity to bridge both worlds and serve growth and deeper immersive experiences. Games that are fundamentally less expensive. Maybe we get games that are better, faster, cheaper, because the cost of game development for AAA games has become immense."
Before Moore, Xbox co-founder Seamus Blackley weighed in on Sharma taking the job. He offered a more depressing take, saying, "Her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night." He later clarified his position, saying he does not believe Xbox is dead, but he expects there to be "pain" ahead."
"I love Xbox as my own flesh and blood. It's the most wonderful thing to me. The distress it's in kills me, haunts me. But progress requires introspection and realism. Learning is pain," he said.
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Speaking to GamesBeat, Moore said Sharma "just needs to listen, learn" to begin her journey as the leader of Xbox. More said working alongside Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty will be a benefit to Sharma as well. He added that outgoing CEO Phil Spencer had great success visiting the Xbox development teams globally to learn "what it takes to manage creative heads and entrepreneurs," and Sharma would be smart do so something similar.
"I wish her all the best. She's in a position right now where--keep your head down. Fly low. Avoid the radar. Learn, listen. Spend a lot of time internally," he said. "Travel the world. Meet with the studio heads. Do the classic listening tour, which a lot of executives do. I think she'll be fine."
Sharma has faced immediate criticism for her background in AI, and Moore said she needs to "explain AI and her background" to the workers at Xbox. "That's a minefield. I would, for me, avoid talking about that if you possibly can. But I wish her all the best," he said.
Also in the interview, Moore said he's seen some of the "media criticism" that Sharma has received so far. "I'm watching her on social media ... trying to navigate the murky waters of gamers online and their opinions," he said.
Sharma shared her Gamertag online and was quickly criticized for her gamer cred. Moore pointed out that he came from Reebok before getting his first job in gaming at Sega, and that was OK for him at the time because "if you were selling sneakers, you could theoretically sell video games, because it was all teenage boys." Things have changed since then, however, Moore said.
"Imposter syndrome is real. You get in there and–if Asha isn't lying awake at 3 AM wondering A): What the hell did I get myself into, and B): What do I need to do to win over gamers, to not be fake or inauthentic, and to build a real cohesive strategy around not just Xbox, but Microsoft gaming as a whole--I'm sure she's going through a lot of that," Moore said.
Regarding AI, Moore said the technology is "despised by gamers right now" and Sharma should "expect" the Xbox community to have negative feelings about AI. At the same time, Moore said AI is not going away and Sharma needs to come up with a plan and effectively communicate it.
"Is she there because she's AI? Or is she there, which is my hope, because she's proven herself within Microsoft and been a very capable executive leader," Moore said.
He added that Sharma would be wise to communicate to Xbox fans that AI is "good for gaming" if it "serves the player, not the spreadsheet."
"She has to be able to explain that. The studios are all going to use artificial intelligence in one form or another. I don't think the gamer really understands what it all means and how things come together in that way," he said. "But I think she has that great opportunity to bridge both worlds and serve growth and deeper immersive experiences. Games that are fundamentally less expensive. Maybe we get games that are better, faster, cheaper, because the cost of game development for AAA games has become immense."
Before Moore, Xbox co-founder Seamus Blackley weighed in on Sharma taking the job. He offered a more depressing take, saying, "Her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night." He later clarified his position, saying he does not believe Xbox is dead, but he expects there to be "pain" ahead."
"I love Xbox as my own flesh and blood. It's the most wonderful thing to me. The distress it's in kills me, haunts me. But progress requires introspection and realism. Learning is pain," he said.
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