Billions of dollars later and still nobody knows what an Xbox is
TL;DR
Microsoft has spent billions under Phil Spencer to make Xbox like Netflix, but this led to layoffs, studio closures, and confusion about Xbox's identity. With Spencer retiring, the future of Xbox is uncertain.
The last few years of Xbox have been expensive. Under Phil Spencer's leadership, Microsoft has spent billions of dollars in an attempt to build an ambitious future for gaming that looks a lot like Netflix. And while its subscription service Game Pass started out as a good deal for gamers (although now not so much), that spending spree has led to catastrophic layoffs, studio closures, and confused and inconsistent messaging about what Xbox actually stands for. And with Spencer set to retire as new leadership takes charge, the future of Microsoft's gaming efforts looks increasingly unclear.
Spencer announced his retirement last week, after ov …