Microsoft Names Asha Sharma as New Gaming Head Amid Xbox Sales Struggles
Asha Sharma has been named executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft's gaming division, taking over for Phil Spencer who is leaving after almost 40 years at the company. This unexpected change comes as Xbox turns 25.
Sharma, a former president of Microsoft's CoreAI product and former Instacart and Meta executive, will bring her knowledge of artificial intelligence to the tech giant's overall strategy. In her new role, she aims to make game development easier for developers and reach players across devices, including PC, mobile, and cloud.
Sharma has hinted at onboarding more AI-powered technology, but dismissed the idea of using cheap AI-generated content, calling it 'soulless AI slop' that 'defines games as art crafted by humans'. Matt Booty, a longtime Microsoft gaming executive, will be promoted to EVP and chief content officer, reporting directly to Sharma.
Sharma's appointment marks a significant change for Xbox, which struggled last quarter with hardware revenue falling 32% year-over-year and Xbox content and services dropping 5%. Despite this, Nadella's memo highlights the company's commitment to renewing its focus on the console business under Sharma's leadership.