Microsoft has begun damage control over the unprecedented leak of its next gen hardware plans but more info has already leaked today.
This week must’ve been one of the strangest ever, in the career of Xbox boss Phil Spencer. Just as things were starting to go well for Xbox, with the launch of Starfield, they suffered an enormous own goal by leaking all of their future plans online, including details of new consoles and Bethesda games.
At first it was assumed that it was the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that had leaked them, but it turned out to be Microsoft that had done it, leaving no one to blame but themselves.
‘We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents,’ said Spencer on Twitter. ‘It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.’
Of course, Spencer’s words cannot be taken at face value. Whether the information is old or not he’d have to say that, to have any chance of putting rivals off the scent and to make sure he’s not fielding questions about the leaks for the next five years.
It’s certainly true that the Bethesda information is probably outdated, since it’s very hard to imagine there being a Ghostwire: Tokyo 2 anymore. Arkane Studios’ plans have also probably changed completely since the Redfall debacle, although it’s hard to say if that makes a Dishonored 3 more or less likely.
The hardware plans are harder to ignore. As the one for the next gen Xbox itself says, Microsoft had to make plans to lock down the technology this spring, in order to have it ready for 2028.
So unless they changed their plans completely just months after these documents were drawn up, it’s hard to imagine that they’re suddenly totally irrelevant.
The only way we’ll know for sure how accurate the information is, is by watching Microsoft’s announcements over the next year.
If the new models of Xbox Series S and X, plus the new controller, turn up in 2024 then it’ll be clear that plans haven’t changed that much. Although Microsoft will no doubt try to put people off the scent in some way, perhaps by changing what they look like.
Further leaks may also shed light on the situation, especially as Spencer’s private email to Xbox staff, that wasn’t meant to be seen by the public, has already leaked via The Verge.
‘Today, several documents submitted in the court proceedings related to our proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard were unintentionally disclosed. I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved,’ he told staff.
‘I also know we all take the confidentiality of our plans and our partners’ information very seriously. This leak obviously is not us living up to that expectation. We will learn from what happened and be better going forward. We all put incredible amounts of passion and energy into our work, and this is never how we want that hard work to be shared with the community. That said, there’s so much more to be excited about, and when we’re ready, we’ll share the real plans with our players.’
‘In closing, I appreciate all of the work that you pour into Team Xbox to surprise and delight our players. In the days and weeks ahead, let’s stay focused on what we can control: continuing the amazing success of Starfield, the upcoming launch of the incredible and accessible Forza Motorsport, and continuing to build games, services and devices that millions of players can enjoy.’
Although no matter what else Spencer says the one thing you can be sure of is that he still wants to buy Nintendo…
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