On Friday evening, it emerged that Microsoft's gaming boss Phil Spencer is stepping down. On Monday (yep, today), he will be replaced by Asha Sharma, although he will remain as an advisor in some capacity. Sharma has a different background than Spencer and seems fairly new to the gaming world, but then again, so was the former head of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, who became perhaps the company's most successful boss ever.
Over the weekend, Sharma commented on how she sees the future of Xbox, saying that she wants to see a "renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console" and adding an increased focus on new game franchises where Microsoft will "empower developers and players to create and share their own stories."
One person who seems a little curious about Sharma and her views on Xbox is former Xbox stalwart Larry Hryb (the public face of the Xbox team and responsible for the community side of things, commonly known by his Gamertag Major Nelson), who worked with the consoles for nearly 20 years. Until very recently, he worked for the game engine company Unity, before being laid off a month ago.
Now he writes via X: "Hey - @asha_shar let me know if you want to chat. ?"
Obviously, we don't know exactly what Hryb wants to talk to Sharma about, but it's not entirely inconceivable that the battle-hardened Xbox veteran would be keen to return to the green team under new management, especially since he's between jobs. Many Xbox fans would probably welcome the return of a person who has been instrumental in defining the console brand more than almost anyone else, but whether that is the case and whether Sharma is interested remains to be seen.
Major Nelson left Xbox three years ago. What do you think this is about?
