Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has called the decision to include rival platform logos in its upcoming showcase “a miss” in response to fan backlash.
On Friday, Xbox’s leadership team discussed plans for its upcoming annual summer Games Showcase, which is due to take place on Sunday, June 7.
In a podcast published on the official Xbox channel, chief content officer Matt Booty was asked if the Showcase would continue its transparency regarding which platforms featured games will be releasing for.
Typically, first-party game showcases like Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play don’t mention rival platforms in the game trailers they show, leaving viewers to find out later which consoles games are actually releasing for.
However, Xbox has broken the trend in recent years, alongside its push toward a multiplatform release strategy, and clearly signposted when revealed games are coming to PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2.
Speaking during the Xbox podcast, Booty confirmed the policy of transparency would continue. “We’ll be very clear about which platforms a game is coming to and want to continue the precedent,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good system going where we make it clear in Showcase.”
However, not all Xbox fans were pleased with Booty’s comments, with some suggesting that the Game Showcase should focus on Xbox platforms rather than mention rival consoles.
Prominent Xbox influencer Klobrille wrote: “I feel like the bare minimum expectation many had was for Xbox to really focus on their own platform at least for the time of the Showcase.”
Seemingly, this sentiment was significant enough for Xbox’s new leadership team to notice, as by Friday evening, CEO Sharma published an apology and claimed the policy would be reviewed.
“Seeing the feedback on logos,” she wrote. “It was a miss, and I own it. We are talking about how we adjust for future Xbox shows.”
Not everyone agrees with the potential U-turn, however. GLHF content director, Kirk McKeand wrote: “I’m not sure pivoting based on the whims of a few militant fans is the best idea.”
IGN journalist Ryan McCaffrey added: “Is doing what Sony does really any more helpful to gamers, though? Meaning, pretend a game doesn’t exist on other platforms on your Showcase when in fact it does. Who does that help?”
