"I passed on so many games": Phil Spencer says he's made some of the "worst" decisions when it comes to Xbox exclusives, like not signing Destiny or Guitar Hero

Destiny Become Legend trailer screenshot showing three figures standing side-by-side in full armor with weapons drawn — (Image credit: Bungie)

Both Destiny and Guitar Hero could've ended up as Xbox exclusives - if Microsoft Gaming lead Phil Spencer hadn't "passed" on signing the now iconic titles.

Speaking at a PAX West panel, Spencer reveals that Xbox considered signing Bungie's beloved sci-fi shooter but ultimately chose not to: "Getting the pitch for Destiny on 'do we want to sign this' - we ended up not signing Destiny. It obviously went with Activision, and to see what it grew into, like from a business kind of Xbox standpoint, I can look at it … and it's just a really interesting journey in terms of what [Bungie] built."

After briefly comparing Destiny to Halo, fellow Bungie banger and arguably one of the most successful Xbox exclusives ever, Spencer explains that the online shooter initially "didn't really click" with him as he's not a "big PvP player." His mind gradually changed as the game's second expansion dropped, though: "It turns out that's not what it was at all like, and when [House of] Wolves came out, it definitely landed me."

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Despite his eventual love for Destiny, Spencer doesn't dwell on the decision to not sign the game - after all, it's one of many: "I've passed on some of the worst, like made some of the worst game choice decisions." Another such game that got away was Guitar Hero, a title that Spencer says he felt at first wasn't "going to work" for Xbox. The concept was too surreal, from the toy-esque instrument plugged directly into a console to the gameplay itself.

"[Alex Rigopulos] pitches a game where they're actually going to make plastic guitars and they're going to plug into consoles and then they're going to sell tracks … "I'm like, 'really, do we really think that's going to work?'" The strange formula did indeed end up working. "A few people played Guitar Hero," Spencer jokes. "I hear that was turned into a pretty good game." He still doesn't regret not signing, though.

"I'm not a regrets type person. Maybe that's a fault of mine, but I passed on so many games." Instead of looking back with frustration, Spencer tries to "look forward and be positive about the things we are doing." With smash-hit games like Destiny, that means celebrating studios such as Bungie and their monumental work: "I just like to celebrate what the team has done. I mean, it's incredible."

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.