The head of Microsoft's Xbox division, Phil Spencer, asserts that the Xbox One is more than likely not the last console the tech company will produce.
During an interview with The Verge, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked whether or not he foresaw a point in time wherein Xbox would exist as an intangible entity such as an app, a storefront, or a brand, rather than a physical console, to which Spencer said he did not. In fact, the Xbox head proclaimed that Microsoft will most certainly produce another piece of gaming hardware underneath the Xbox banner.
As many gaming fans are aware, Spencer's business philosophy is rooted in client satisfaction first and foremost. For instance, back in October of this year, after an Xbox Live outage, Spencer's comment was user-focused, as he apologized for damaging players' trust. The same patron-based approach extends to his reasoning for another Xbox console coming out in the future, as he said:
"I fully expect that you'll see another console from us […] Our best customers are Xbox console customers, and I want to keep those people engaged both on the Xbox One and anything we might do in the future. I'm 100 percent committed to that."
"I don't want to dilute what the Xbox console customer feels. I want to expand what we're able to do for more customers."
While Spencer's view of what's to come for the Xbox is based in tried-and-true traditionalist ideals, former Xbox boss Robbie Bach's predictions for the next console generation are somewhat different from the current head of the division, as he anticipates a completely different approach to the dissemination of games. However, only time will tell as to what the market is looking for in its next gaming console.
Xbox executive Shannon Loftis was also asked about Microsoft's position in the future of the gaming world during the discussion. Regarding the matter, she said one of the company's main goals is to make gaming "more inclusive across the board" and that it is looking into "as many ways to make all of our experiences relevant across all of our platforms as we possibly can".
In order to ensure Microsoft's ability to become pertinent across a myriad of hardware, the firm has employed a few tactics, with one being the allowance of Windows 10 tablets to have game streaming from Xbox One exclusives. And then, naturally, many gaming fans were tickled pink to hear about the ability of Fable Legends to have cross-platform multiplayer on PC and Xbox One, and it's likely to be utilized for other titles as well.
Another fairway for growth could also come from the Microsoft HoloLens, for it would add augmented reality into the mix. In spite of that fact, many argue that its features for gaming are only a novelty at this point, as it still has a ways to go in terms of development.
Of course, since Xbox fans are still enjoying the Xbox One, owners of Microsoft's current-gen console should expect support for the system for many more years to come, with its next big exclusive being Quantum Break, releasing on April 5, 2016.