For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter
The new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma has some unexpected shoutouts for her favorite games of all time.
Phil Spencer's successor as the head of the Xbox division is none other than the former head of Microsoft's CoreAI product who doesn't have much professional experience in the games industry, but she's trying to let everyone know that she too likes to game, fellow Gamers.
Over on social media, she writes that her three favorite games ever are Halo, Valheim, and Goldeneye 007. Seems like a pretty safe PR trio - the Xbox crown jewel, a beloved indie, and an older classic. She also says it's "been a long time" since she's played arguably the most beloved JRPG of all time, Chrono Trigger.
Article continues below
And, now, speaking to Variety, Asha Sharma called out 2016's Firewatch, the walking sim about wandering a quiet forest trail made by former TellTale Games veterans (and future Half-Life Alyx devs). Asked about what makes a great game, Sharma says "deep emotional resonance" and "a distinct point of view" are what make players "feel something," just as she did while playing Firewatch.
Firewatch is an interesting shoutout to me because it's not exactly a game that has a particularly loud fanbase or storied legacy. And so using it as an example doesn't seem as if she's fishing for easy gamer brownie points like many of her posts on Twitter suggest. But, still, being a dedicated gamer doesn't translate into being an uncontroversial leader of Xbox.
For now, Sharma is saying all the right things, like how she won't flood the "ecosystem with soulless AI slop" and wants to recommit to Xbox hardware. Whether they'll bear fruit is another question. Here's hoping Sharma's tenure at the top of the console maker is smoother than Spencer's was.
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Join The Community
