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Xbox's Millennial CEO Isn't Playing Around
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is targeting a billion users by shifting the console's focus from hardware units to cloud-streamed mobile and PC gaming.
What: Asha Sharma, the 38-year-old CEO of Microsoft's Xbox division, plans to reach one billion users by expanding into emerging markets including Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. The strategy prioritizes cloud-based gaming that runs on low-end hardware and mobile devices, while reinvesting in Minecraft to challenge Roblox.
Why it matters: Microsoft is de-emphasizing traditional home consoles in favor of software and cloud-delivery services to escape the hardware saturation cycle and reach mass-market consumers in developing countries.
Decoder
- Cloud gaming: A service where games are rendered on remote servers and the video stream is delivered to the user's device, eliminating the need for expensive local hardware.
Original article
Asha Sharma, the 38-year-old chief executive of Microsoft's Xbox division, wants Xbox properties to entertain a billion people. This means opening untapped markets in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia by using cloud computing technology to run games on computers and smartphones. Another pillar of her strategy is to reinvest in Minecraft as a competitor to Roblox. Leaders at the company describe the future of its consoles as embodying that idea.
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