Xbox is formally stepping beyond the game console. Microsoft’s gaming brand has launched XP, a new Xbox division dedicated to how people experience its franchises outside the games themselves — spanning film and television, consumer products, strategic partnerships and live experiences — and it is being led by newly appointed President Kayleen Walters.
What XP Will Do
“XP is a new Xbox division, led by newly appointed President, Kayleen Walters, spanning film and television, consumer products, strategic partnerships, and live experiences,” reads the announcement on Xbox Wire. “It brings together capabilities that have existed across various teams at Xbox for years and aligns them behind a shared mission: helping our franchises reach more people, create deeper connections” with their fandoms. Eurogamer frames the move as Xbox following Nintendo and Sony’s lead — a division exclusively dedicated to movies and non-games partnerships — while Engadget expects TV and movie adaptations of Xbox’s biggest franchises to be the priority.
Two Leadership Moves
Walters transitions to XP from her role at Mojang. Stepping into her old spot, Maria Angelidou-Smith joins Xbox as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft. Of the Mojang search, Xbox says it wanted “someone who has built products for communities at enormous scale, who is deeply technical” — while noting that “Mojang already has an exceptional game development team that knows Minecraft and its players deeply.”
Great Games Stay at the Center
Matthew Ball, chief strategy officer at Xbox, puts the strategy plainly in the announcement: “Great games remain at the center of these franchises and at the heart of Xbox. XP will partner with the best creative minds across our studios, along with trusted partners, to build on that foundation and create more ways for people to experience the worlds they love” — and, per the release, unlock new opportunities “for these fandoms to grow around the world.”
The timing is doing some talking, too. PC Gamer’s read on the announcement lands with a thud: “As it lays off developers and closes studios, Xbox gets into the movie business.” Whether XP becomes the licensing engine Nintendo built or a footnote in Xbox’s corporate history, the direction is now official — the worlds of Xbox’s biggest franchises are heading everywhere games aren’t.
Sources
- Xbox Wire — Introducing XP
- Xbox Wire — New leadership appointments and Xbox division
- Eurogamer — Following Nintendo and Sony’s lead, Xbox is setting up a division exclusively dedicated to movies and non-games partnerships
- PC Gamer — As it lays off developers and closes studios, Xbox gets into the movie business