Microsoft might learn a thing or two this way about how to put the struggling Xbox brand in better shape.
A lot has already been said about Asha Sharma, the new head of Microsoft’s gaming division and the Xbox platform, especially because she is coming into the games business from outside the traditional console space. Even so, she has made it clear, at least publicly, that she wants to listen to and learn from people who have been in the industry for years. She reinforced that attitude again by indicating that she would be glad to talk with Shawn Layden, one of the key former figures of the PlayStation business.
While Sharma represents a newer generation of leadership, Layden stands for an earlier era. He first served as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, then later became president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment during the period spanning the end of the PlayStation 3 generation and the PlayStation 4 era. He was there to witness first-hand how the games industry changed dramatically over that time and how those changes shaped the present not only for PlayStation, but for the entire industry.
Since stepping down in 2019, Layden has regularly shared his thoughts about the way the business has evolved. That is exactly what he was doing when Sharma publicly reached out to him about having a conversation. Responding to a post by games industry analyst Joost van Dreunen, Layden talked about Xbox and Xbox Game Pass. He argued that despite the gloomy forecasts and negative diagnoses, efforts are clearly being made to repair the situation, and that a serious postmortem would benefit the industry as a whole. Sharma then replied by saying, quite simply, that she would love to chat with him sometime.
A conversation between a current platform boss and a former one could carry real weight, especially since Sharma is reportedly leading the reworking of the Xbox brand herself and Microsoft appears to be approaching several major decisions. That could include a rethink of Game Pass pricing. It would certainly be interesting to see whether Sharma takes anything from Layden’s perspective, even if he has been out of the decision-making seat for more than five years now.
We will probably never know what direct impact such a conversation might have, assuming it happens at all, but the fact that Sharma is so openly willing to hear different viewpoints is already a positive sign.
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