Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Questions Brand's Future, Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball Expresses Optimism

Asha Sharma, the recently installed CEO of Xbox, posed a direct question to the company's new Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Ball, asking if the Xbox brand was "fixable." Ball, who joined Xbox last month, recounted this query during an interview with The Game Business.

Ball, known as a veteran industry analyst and for his annual state of video gaming report, stated, "I'm a strategic optimist. I think it is incredibly defeatist to think that there's any scenario that you can't do better, that you can't improve." He emphasized that while the difficulty, scope, and timeline of the task are separate questions, he believes success is achievable, affirming his reason for joining the company.

This question underscores Xbox's current challenges, including its position behind Sony and Nintendo in hardware sales this generation and increasing external pressures affecting the future of consoles. Ball's role involves strengthening the business and advising on the next-generation console, Project Helix, in light of component shortages.

Over the past 100 days, Sharma has implemented several significant changes, including adjustments to Game Pass prices and Call of Duty availability, and a renewed focus on console exclusives like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution. Other actions include an executive reshuffle, a push for console feature updates, and the termination of Copilot AI development for Xbox consoles and the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign.

Sharma has indicated that the next 100 days will concentrate on a "reset" for the business. This follows a publicly acknowledged disappointing 3% accountability margin for the division. A Bloomberg report stated that job losses are anticipated in July, alongside reductions in marketing budgets and other operational areas.

Many industry observers expect Xbox to prioritize its major franchises such as Halo, Forza, and Gears of War, and to re-evaluate its studio portfolio, potentially impacting smaller developers. Sharma addressed the situation on X/Twitter, stating, "We just shared with our team the realities we need to navigate as we work to reset the Xbox business. We won't succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting different results."

According to IGN, Ball previously worked at Amazon Prime, where he contributed to the development of series such as Fallout, The Boys, and Rings of Power.