Microsoft Confirms 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Is Dead And Reveals Why
Microsoft has been quietly removing references to its viral 'This is an Xbox' marketing campaign and lest there was any doubt about why, the company confirmed in a statement the reasoning behind its decision to move on. Simply put, new Xbox boss Asha Sharma made the decision to abandon the controversial campaign because it did not align with her goal to reset Xbox.
"Asha retired 'This is an Xbox' because it didn't feel like Xbox. She is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand," a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central.
The campaign's fate came into question when, earlier this month, it was discovered that the page on Xbox Wire announcing the campaign had been removed, replaced by a mostly blank slate that now reads, "Oops! That page cannot be found."
There are still references to the campaign scattered around the Xbox domain in adjacent product announcements, such as the one highlighting the collaboration with ASUS on the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. However, despite some remnants here and there, the campaign is effectively dead as Sharma looks to reshape the Xbox brand.
Microsoft's intent when it starting its 'This is an Xbox' campaign was to highlight how virtually any internet device with a display could be a transformed into a cloud gaming system through Xbox Game Pass, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and so forth.
The problem is, the campaign never resonated with gamers, at least not in the way Microsoft had clearly hoped. It sparked a bunch of unflattering memes, as well as questions regarding Microsoft's commitment to future console releases.
It took Sharma all of 2 nanoseconds to set the record straight in Microsoft's post announcing her promotion, replacing Phil Spencer, the long-time face of Xbox. She talked about the "return of Xbox" and vowed to "recommit to our core Xbox fans and players."
"We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it," Sharma said at the time.
Since then, Microsoft has revealed Project Helix, the codename for its next-generation Xbox console that will support both console and PC games on the same hardware. In addition to bridging the gap between console and PC gaming, Sharma promised that the next Xbox system will "lead in performance," which sounds like she's saying it will be faster than Sony's eventual PlayStation 6.
