Xbox CEO lays out priorities in memo after major ‘reset’

Xbox 首席执行官在重大“重组”后的备忘录中阐述优先事项

After a massive Xbox “reset” that laid off thousands of employees and spun off four studios, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma wants to get Xbox back to growth. In a memo obtained by The Verge, Sharma told staff by the end of fiscal year 2027 (which runs through next June), “we will return XBOX to player and revenue growth.” Xbox will also “improve profits back in line with industry averages,” Sharma said. “Every function and studio will own part of that outcome.”

在经历了一场裁员数千人并剥离了四个工作室的重大 Xbox“重组”之后，Xbox 首席执行官 Asha Sharma 希望让 Xbox 重回增长轨道。在《The Verge》获得的一份备忘录中，Sharma 告诉员工，到 2027 财年结束时（即明年 6 月），“我们将使 Xbox 回归玩家和收入增长”。Sharma 表示，Xbox 还将“将利润提升至行业平均水平”，“每个职能部门和工作室都将承担实现这一目标的部分责任。”

Since taking over Xbox in February, Sharma has made sweeping changes to attempt to turn things around. Previously, she has cited challenges like a low accountability margin, increasing component costs for hardware, an “over extended” slate of studios, and platform infrastructure that’s “not built for the battle ahead.” In addition to the major structural changes, Xbox made Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution Xbox console exclusives and is planning to do more. Sharma has also set an ambitious and nearly impossible goal to make Xbox “one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day.”

自 2 月接管 Xbox 以来，Sharma 进行了大刀阔斧的改革，试图扭转局面。此前，她曾指出公司面临的挑战，包括问责空间不足、硬件组件成本上升、工作室布局“过度扩张”以及平台基础设施“无法应对未来的竞争”。除了重大的结构性调整外，Xbox 还将《战争机器：E-Day》和《发条革命》定为 Xbox 主机独占游戏，并计划推出更多独占作品。Sharma 还设定了一个雄心勃勃、几乎不可能实现的目标：让 Xbox 成为“每天为超过 10 亿人提供娱乐的少数几家公司之一”。

In Thursday’s memo, Sharma laid out four Xbox priorities for fiscal year 2027: CORE: Strengthen our platform, led by console CONTENT: Grow great games into global franchises CREATION: Make Minecraft the world’s creator platform CONNECTION: Extend the worlds that fans love

在周四的备忘录中，Sharma 列出了 Xbox 2027 财年的四个优先事项： 核心（CORE）：以主机为引领，加强我们的平台 内容（CONTENT）：将优秀游戏发展为全球性 IP 创作（CREATION）：将《我的世界》（Minecraft）打造为全球创作者平台 连接（CONNECTION）：扩展粉丝所热爱的世界

Xbox will measure progress toward its goals in three “stages,” Sharma said. The first is to return to growth by the end of fiscal year 2027. The second is to turn its bets into growth; “In FY28 and FY29, our Four C’s and roadmap must move into businesses producing meaningful player value and revenue acceleration.” The third is to “scale what works,” and by fiscal year 2030, “our ambition is to be halfway to our long-term daily-player goal with sustained double-digit growth in players and engagement and industry leading margins.”

Sharma 表示，Xbox 将分三个“阶段”来衡量目标的进展。第一阶段是在 2027 财年结束前恢复增长。第二阶段是将投入转化为增长；“在 2028 和 2029 财年，我们的‘四个 C’战略和路线图必须转化为能产生显著玩家价值和收入加速的业务。”第三阶段是“扩大成功经验”，到 2030 财年，“我们的目标是实现长期日活跃玩家目标的一半，并保持玩家数量和参与度的两位数增长，以及行业领先的利润率。”

Sharma shared some vague numbers about Xbox’s current playerbase. “XBOX is one of the largest stadiums in the world, bringing together more than 100 million people every day, more than 500 million each month, and nearly one billion each year,” she wrote. She also noted that console “generates the majority of XBOX revenue and remains the foundation of our fandom” and that it is still Xbox’s “flagship experience.” Xbox’s OS, Game Pass, Windows, and streaming “become our platform for new players and developers.”

Sharma 分享了一些关于 Xbox 当前玩家群体的概略数据。她写道：“Xbox 是世界上最大的体育场之一，每天汇聚超过 1 亿人，每月超过 5 亿人，每年近 10 亿人。”她还指出，主机“贡献了 Xbox 的大部分收入，仍然是我们粉丝群体的基石”，并且依然是 Xbox 的“旗舰体验”。而 Xbox 的操作系统、Game Pass、Windows 和流媒体服务则“成为了我们吸引新玩家和开发者的平台”。

The company is also shifting its studio system from a decentralized model to one that’s “more focused around our strongest franchises and biggest new ideas,” Sharma said — something that’s already become evident with changes like the big new Fallout push. Xbox will build “long-term plans” for its biggest franchises “across film, television, consumer products, sponsorship, live experiences, and form new partnerships globally, including China.” Three Xbox franchises “already generate more than $1 billion annually,” though Sharma doesn’t specify which those are.

Sharma 表示，公司正在将其工作室体系从去中心化模式转向“更聚焦于我们最强 IP 和最重大新创意”的模式——这一点在近期对《辐射》（Fallout）系列的大力推广中已经显现。Xbox 将为其最大的 IP 制定“长期计划”，“涵盖电影、电视、消费品、赞助、现场体验，并在全球范围内建立新的合作伙伴关系，包括中国。”目前有三个 Xbox IP “每年已经产生超过 10 亿美元的收入”，但 Sharma 没有具体说明是哪三个。

To grow its share in casual games, Xbox plans to lean on Candy Crush-maker King as well as Microsoft Causal Games, Sharma said. And Xbox is planning to invest in Minecraft “more than ever before.”

为了扩大在休闲游戏领域的份额，Sharma 表示，Xbox 计划依靠《糖果传奇》（Candy Crush）的开发商 King 以及微软休闲游戏部门。此外，Xbox 计划对《我的世界》进行“前所未有的”投入。