Phil Spencer wants casual and social games acquisitions for Xbox

Microsoft’s next big gaming purchase could be something for a wider, more casual audience. Speaking with Bloomberg at the Paley International Council Summit, Spencer explained that there’s no “quota” and that it’s all about the right fit. Spencer noted however that he does want more casual and social games on Xbox.

“When I think about the kinds of genres that are usually associated with Xbox, yes, we have Roblox, we have Minecraft, we have FIFA and Fortnite, but we want to continue to invest in more social, casual content that’s out there,” Spencer said.

Microsoft has acquired and founded numerous studios since 2018, growing the Xbox first-party family to 23 different studios across Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. These teams are now working on upcoming Xbox games like Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, Arkane Austin’s Redfall and more. Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has previously discussed wanting a new Xbox exclusive title to ship every quarter.

“I’m really proud of the creators who have chosen to become part of Xbox,” Spencer shared. “If you look at some of the people we’ve acquired and partnered with, it’s people we’ve had longterm relationships with and they’ve come inside of Xbox now and they see our roadmap on platform and service. I want them to be able to do their most amazing creative work as part of this team.”

Spencer also noted to Bloomberg that he wants to alleviate supply chain issues that are currently restricting the number of consoles produced, meaning less Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S units available for purchase. Microsoft is working to invest in “…fabrication built in different locations.”