We recently had an interview with Xbox marketer and lead planner Albert Penello. In our very own, Inner Circle Podcast, Penello gives us an inside look at how the Xbox team develops and deploys its products for consumers around the world. Throughout the interview we dive into topics ranging from Xbox games going to PC as well as news on the upcoming Scorpio. For the full audio podcast, tune into the Inner Circle Podcast hosted by Lenwood Henegan and Ivan AKA Anchorman.
Switching over to the marketing side of the Xbox, we asked Penello what his thoughts were on gamers throwing out claims in which some say you don’t need an Xbox because a flagship tittle is on Windows 10. In response Penello does acknowledge that these complaints are vocally loud but at the same time doesn’t line up with the way gamers play games. The Xbox exec lists two things that are true.
The first is that today you play games on about every device you own. Whether it be PC, Console, or on a mobile phone, gamers find comfort and fun on each dedicated device. Each device offers their own benefits. On PC it’s a customizable and powerful solution. For consoles it is a laidback sit on the couch experience. Playing on a mobile device it is a play and go burst of enjoyment. By bringing games to the PC it doesn’t suddenly mean people won’t want consoles anymore. This just doesn’t sound align to how gamers play today. Giving more people choices on how they play and connect with friends.
Secondly, Penello mentions that most people who are on a party chat don’t even play on the same game. They just use it to stay connected with friends. Why not bring that connection to PC? Same thing for the games. More choice, more people. With all that being said, Penello reassures Xbox fans that a future in which Microsoft won’t be making consoles or not needing a console is “Not realistic.”
While some gamers may feel a sting of loss with the Play Anywhere program the TiC crew mentioned the benefits that a larger ecosystem would provide. With the added pool of PC users and cross platform support. The added revenue would better support IP creation for the Xbox team to further the gaming experiences on both console and PC. Penello thought it a great way to rationalize the situation. Still even with the compliment from the The Inner Circle team, Penello is looking to the future. There is still “lots of work to do” in order to create synergy between both PC and consoles. In closing Penello states that PC owners playing Killer Instinct or Quantum Break won’t take away from the console players. It just gives more people a chance to play more games on what they want to play.
For the full interview listen to the latest Inner Circle Podcast episode.
