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Xbox CEO criticism. The second phase of the restructuring plan, defined as the “Xbox Reset,” saw Asha Sharma make the decision to lay off additional hundreds of employees and proceed with a global reorganization within Xbox Game Studios and key publishers under Microsoft’s umbrella.
Shannon Loftis, former director of World’s Edge and a Microsoft veteran with over 29 years of experience, expressed strong criticism regarding Asha Sharma’s leadership style. Loftis joined Microsoft in 1993, subsequently serving as General Manager at Xbox Entertainment Studios and briefly as Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios. Previously, she led World’s Edge Studios, contributing to the development of the Age of Empires series.
Xbox CEO criticism: why it matters
In a LinkedIn post, Shannon Loftis commented on the recent Xbox layoffs that also affected her former team at World’s Edge. “I am devastated by the news received from Xbox in these past hours. I cannot understand how these moves can represent a form of ‘clarity,’ but I want to tell those who have been impacted – and specifically the people at World’s Edge – that you are worth much, much more.”
Even greater attention was drawn to a previous post on Threads (later deleted), in which Loftis sharply criticized the Xbox CEO for behavior deemed hypocritical toward developers and fans. “It is truly curious that Asha Sharma told the Wall Street Journal last week that ‘clarity is kindness,’ only to implement layoffs right now. I suppose the Sword of Damocles is a form of clarity… Or am I wrong? Please, Asha, post more ‘cool’ photos from your trip to Japan and visit to Kojima. This is exactly the kind of leadership video game developers need.”
What changes and what are the effects
Last year, Microsoft announced a series of organizational changes within the Xbox division, with the goal of optimizing resources and focusing on strategic areas. These changes led to several waves of layoffs affecting various studios.
Source and further reading on Xbox CEO criticism: original article.
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