Phil Spencer Xbox One New IP Crucial

It's all change at the top for Xbox these days, with former MS Studios lead Phil Spencer now heading up the multi-billion dollar business. Luckily for fans of the brand, the fresh appointment — first announced on Monday - promises to shake up far more than the corporate pay structure.

Following months of PR bluster, extolling the virtues of the media-savvy Xbox One, Spencer was quick to re-affirm his commitment to quality software, by instituting a "gaming-first" philosophy that ought to serve the company well at this year's E3.

Speaking to Polygon, Spencer explained that his new position would inevitably lead to greater cooperation between the disparate elements of the Xbox brand, namely Xbox Live, Music, Video and Studio groups. In turn this "tight feedback loop" would create better, stronger content for the platform, in line with the expectations of the console's expanding player-base.

Likening his role to that of a content manager, Spencer continued by stating that the company's upcoming E3 showcase was "the best lineup of content in a long time." Sadly, the Xbox boss was reluctant to name any possible inclusions, though he did offer a comment on the console's early 2nd place showing.

"We're early on in the console generation, and obviously Sony's having a great launch. […] Console gaming is doing incredibly well right now. Six months ago, everybody wondered if console gaming was dead... but this is a long, multi-year generation and my fundamental belief is that great games create the best platforms."

Microsoft Xbox One E3 2014 Press Conference

As an amusing sidenote, Spencer also noted that the most frequent question he receives as a Microsoft official tended to revolve around the subject of the Shenmue series - namely the whereabouts of a potential third instalment. This follows the recent news of publisher Sega losing ownership of the Shenmue trademark in North America, something that might throw a spanner in the works should Spencer ever decide to followup on his humorously titled "Shenmue-contingency."

Can a strong E3 showing help Microsoft close the gap to rival Sony? Which games do you expect to be showcased at this year's conference and which would you titles like to see? Will Phil Spencer's 'games first' philosophy help or hinder the system's mainstream profitability? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to keep up with all of the latest E3 2014 news, right here on Game Rant.

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E3 2014 will run from June 10 to the 12th, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Official conference times have yet to be released, though recent form suggests Microsoft will take the stage at around 9.30am Pacific time (June 10).

Follow Sam on Twitter @GamingGoo

Source: Polygon