Phil Spencer Xbox Boss

Following the announcement of his promotion to new Xbox boss, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer conducted a brief interview with Game Informer about his vision for the brand moving forward in which he continually stressed the importance of putting games first.

“My goal, first and foremost, is to make sure that everybody understands that Xbox is a gaming brand and it’s going to be gaming first,” Spencer told Game Informer. “That’s a leadership principle that I will bring to the program from day one. It’s not that it hasn’t been there in the past, but if you put the studio guy at the head, you kinda know what you’re going to get.”

Spencer headed up Microsoft Studios before taking over as the leader of all things Xbox. The brand took a huge hit in the eyes of the gaming public last year when its Xbox One reveal focused more on the next-gen console’s ability to play TV shows than to play video games. While Spencer said that performing multiple functions is necessary for any “incredible” electronic home entertainment product, he stressed again that games are priority one for the Xbox brand.

“We have always been, since the beginning, all about games at Xbox,” he said. “I want to make sure that shows up not only internally, but also externally.”

In the interview, Spencer mentioned blockbuster first-person shooter Titanfall‘s huge success and his desire to find the next Xbox exclusive success story. In a statement he released on Xbox Wire, however, the new Xbox leader also made mention of Microsoft’s commitment to smaller game developers.

“From the early days of building the original Xbox, to core technology bets like incorporating the Internet in every box, Microsoft has enabled developers and creators of all sizes – from ID@Xbox to the biggest publishing and entertainment partners – with innovative technology and tools and, most importantly, a connection to the world’s best community of gamers,” wrote Spencer.

The statement echoes his words to Game Informer and establish new corporate messaging for Xbox: “It’s something I want every person on the program to understand, that we’ll be leading with gaming on Xbox One.”

Sources: Game Informer and Xbox Wire