“Someone tell that to Nintendo.” Phil Spencer’s recent stance that exclusives are passé sparked a firestorm. Mike Ybarra counters that Nintendo’s biggest wins come from a bold risk-and-reward playbook built on platform exclusives — even as Xbox touts a freer, play-anywhere future with devices like the ASUS ROG Ally.

In recent months, Xbox has stunned the industry with strategy pivots: under a “everything is Xbox” banner, more titles are arriving on PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo. Meanwhile, division president Sarah Bond declared exclusives “old-fashioned”, igniting debate across social media.

Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard boss, replied on X to a CharlieIntel clip of Bond’s remark with a pointed line: “Someone tell that to Nintendo.” The jab underscores how Nintendo continues to ride high by building around exclusives for Switch and the upcoming Switch 2.

Nintendo: Outdated or Peak Risk and Reward?

When a user dismissed Nintendo as “old-fashioned” and nostalgia-driven, Ybarra pushed back: the company has dominated with outstanding games while taking real risks — some platforms falter, but the comebacks are strong. To him, that’s the opposite of old-fashioned; it’s classic risk and reward.

Ybarra has criticized Microsoft’s “everything’s an Xbox” posture before, arguing the company must either take risks with killer exclusives or lean fully into publishing across rival platforms.

Who’s Driving Xbox’s Controversial Calls?

Reports suggest a hard profit mandate sits behind these moves: Microsoft is said to be pushing for a 30% margin in gaming — well above typical industry ranges. They also point to Amy Hood, the CFO, as imposing the target while her team assumes a bigger role in gaming decisions.

Sources: 3djuegos