Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes
Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes
微软 Xbox 迎来新一轮重组，核心聚焦平台变革
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, has spent the past couple of months making her mark on the Xbox organization. After focusing on highly requested Xbox console features, reducing the price of Game Pass, and moving Microsoft Gaming back to Xbox, Sharma is reorganizing the Xbox platform team at Microsoft today.
微软新任 Xbox 负责人 Asha Sharma 在过去几个月里一直在为 Xbox 组织打下自己的烙印。在专注于玩家呼声极高的 Xbox 主机功能、降低 Game Pass 价格并将 Microsoft Gaming 业务重新整合回 Xbox 之后，Sharma 今日宣布对微软 Xbox 平台团队进行重组。
The changes will see some veterans depart, promotions, and new faces with more technical expertise to help the Xbox platform team. Jared Palmer, who used to work with Sharma in Microsoft’s CoreAI division, is joining Xbox as VP of engineering and a technical adviser to Sharma. In a memo to Xbox employees, seen by The Verge, Sharma says that Palmer will work “directly with me on our most complex product and engineering problems, with a focus on developer tooling, taste, and infrastructure.”
此次变动涉及部分老员工离职、内部晋升以及引入具备更强技术背景的新面孔，以助力 Xbox 平台团队。曾与 Sharma 在微软 CoreAI 部门共事的 Jared Palmer 将加入 Xbox，担任工程副总裁兼 Sharma 的技术顾问。根据《The Verge》看到的内部备忘录，Sharma 表示 Palmer 将“直接与我合作，解决我们最复杂的工程与产品问题，重点关注开发者工具、产品品味及基础设施。”
Tim Allen, former Microsoft CoreAI VP of design and GitHub’s senior VP of design and research, is also joining Xbox to lead design. Sharma says Allen’s appointment is the “first time bringing together product design, design engineering, research, and creative with a fan-first focus.”
前微软 CoreAI 设计副总裁、GitHub 设计与研究高级副总裁 Tim Allen 也将加入 Xbox 负责设计工作。Sharma 表示，Allen 的任命是“首次将产品设计、设计工程、研究和创意整合在一起，并以玩家为先。”
Jonathan McKay, former head of growth at Microsoft’s CoreAI division, is also joining Xbox to lead its growth, data platform, and analytics. Evan Chaki, a former general manager in CoreAI, is joining a new team in Xbox to “lead a forward-deployed engineering group focused on removing repetitive work, simplifying development, and improving how we operate.”
前微软 CoreAI 部门增长主管 Jonathan McKay 也将加入 Xbox，负责增长、数据平台和分析业务。前 CoreAI 总经理 Evan Chaki 将加入 Xbox 的一个新团队，负责“领导一个前沿工程小组，专注于消除重复性工作、简化开发流程并改进运营方式。”
That are a lot of people joining Xbox from Microsoft’s CoreAI team, and it seems like Sharma is bringing over her former colleagues to give the Xbox organization a little more technical expertise for platforms and experience with things like growth and data. It’s also a lot of AI experience, which is bound to sound the alarm bells with some Xbox fans, but looking at the appointments there’s no clear AI push for Xbox here.
有大量来自微软 CoreAI 团队的人员加入 Xbox，看起来 Sharma 正在引入她以前的同事，为 Xbox 组织在平台技术、增长和数据方面注入更多专业知识。这也带来了丰富的 AI 经验，这难免会让一些 Xbox 粉丝感到担忧，但从目前的任命来看，Xbox 并没有明显的 AI 激进扩张迹象。
In fact, last week Sharma posted on X that Xbox is “refocusing our AI efforts to solving player problems like enhancing real-time graphics, improving discovery, and deepening personalization.” That sure sounds like a lot more focus on improving the underlying Xbox software platform instead.
事实上，Sharma 上周在 X 上发文称，Xbox 正在“重新聚焦我们的 AI 工作，以解决玩家面临的问题，例如增强实时图形渲染、改善内容发现机制以及深化个性化体验。”这听起来更像是将重点放在了改进 Xbox 底层软件平台之上。
These leadership changes at Xbox largely affect the platform teams under former Xbox president Sarah Bond. Microsoft originally announced Bond’s departure in February, and she has remained in place as a “special advisor” to Sharma to help with the leadership transition. Many had expected Bond would be named Xbox chief, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella decided to shake up Xbox leadership with an outsider.
此次 Xbox 的领导层变动主要影响了前 Xbox 总裁 Sarah Bond 麾下的平台团队。微软最初于 2 月宣布 Bond 将离职，此后她一直担任 Sharma 的“特别顾问”，以协助领导层过渡。许多人曾预期 Bond 会被任命为 Xbox 负责人，但微软 CEO Satya Nadella 决定引入外部人士来重组 Xbox 领导层。
As part of this new Xbox shake-up, Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of Xbox devices and ecosystem, will be “taking a leave of absence after this summer and will be staying on as an advisor.” Sones previously reported up to Bond, and helped lead the launch of the Xbox Ally devices.
作为此次 Xbox 重组的一部分，Xbox 设备与生态系统企业副总裁 Roanne Sones 将在“今年夏天之后休假，并继续担任顾问。”Sones 此前直接向 Bond 汇报，并曾协助领导了 Xbox Ally 设备的发布。
Kevin Gammill, corporate vice president of Xbox user experience, is also stepping down after nearly 20 years at Microsoft. “He has dedicated more than 15 years to Xbox and will support the transition,” says Sharma. “I’m grateful for his leadership and everything he has built here.”
Xbox 用户体验企业副总裁 Kevin Gammill 在微软工作近 20 年后也将离职。Sharma 表示：“他为 Xbox 贡献了超过 15 年的时间，并将支持此次过渡。我非常感谢他的领导力以及他在这里所建立的一切。”
Jason Ronald, vice president of next gen, is also getting a promotion as part of these changes. “On hardware, we are elevating Jason Ronald, accountable for Project Helix, and our platform,” says Sharma. It’s not clear what Ronald’s new title is, though. Jason Beaumont “will lead the product and serve as interim head of engineering,” as part of these changes.
作为变动的一部分，下一代产品副总裁 Jason Ronald 也获得了晋升。Sharma 表示：“在硬件方面，我们提拔了 Jason Ronald，他将负责 Project Helix 和我们的平台。”不过，目前尚不清楚 Ronald 的新头衔是什么。作为变动的一部分，Jason Beaumont “将负责产品工作，并担任临时工程主管。”
“This is an important time for Xbox,” says Sharma. “Our goal with this change is simple: build a platform that is affordable, personal, and open by staying close to the work and the people we serve. We will continue to add the capabilities needed to get there.”
“这对 Xbox 来说是一个重要的时刻，”Sharma 说道。“我们此次变革的目标很简单：通过深入了解工作内容和我们所服务的用户，打造一个经济实惠、个性化且开放的平台。我们将继续增加实现这一目标所需的能力。”