Laura Fryer believes that Xbox prioritizes money over gamers, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg in her opinion.

Laura Fryer, one of Xbox’s founding members, shared her candid thoughts on the current state of the platform, especially regarding Xbox Game Pass, following recent price increases and rising console costs. She didn’t hold back, criticizing Xbox management for being out of touch with reality and unresponsive to player feedback. She called Microsoft’s video addressing Game Pass price hikes “insensitive” and detailed what the platform has lost in recent years — the dedicated console that defined its ecosystem, the exclusive titles that gave it identity, and the genuine partnership that once existed between Xbox and developers.

“This is further confirmation that the bubble at Xbox is real. Leadership doesn’t understand what made them great. The ‘yes man’ culture that took over in 2008 has only worsened, and this is the result. Crazy price hikes for fans after announcing that Game Pass made $5 billion. These price increases feel like betrayal — like greed overtaking gaming. Xbox wasn’t created to sell hardware. It was about building a closed loop where Xbox owned the player and developer relationships. It was more than just a product.”

“‘This is an Xbox’ is destroying all the brand value built over the years. It was meant to be an inclusive message where everyone was welcome, but it hollowed out the meaning because if everything is Xbox, then nothing really is. I can’t say for sure where this is headed. It looks like Xbox is moving toward cloud gaming and away from hardware. But maybe they’re just incompetent and don’t understand what they’re doing, just experimenting,” Fryer said.

Fryer acknowledged that she understands the business reasons behind the platform’s shift away from hardware toward services like Game Pass but maintains that the current leadership doesn’t understand gamers or developers. She also recalled how, back when the brand was being built, she and the original team didn’t always know what they were doing — but at least they had passion and vision. That passion, she said, is now missing.

Although Fryer hasn’t worked for Microsoft for many years, her criticisms remain relevant. She believes the current direction will strip Xbox of its identity, with greed taking precedence over creativity and community.

Source: WCCFTech