The main news of the week was, alas, not good news. Bethesda announced the postponement of the Redfall and Starfield games, the only two games from Xbox studios that had a release date for this year. While waiting to find out what Xbox games will be released this year, the creator of God of War did not go out of his way to criticize the gaming boss at Microsoft.
God of War creator calls Phil Spencer bad at development management
It was in his latest podcast that David Jaffe, creator of the God of War series on PlayStation 15 years ago, spoke regarding the postponement of Redfall and Starfield to next year. Already known for not having his tongue in his pocket, he clearly castigated Phil Spencer’s management regarding the release of games from the studios Xbox.
You suck, Phil Spencer. You are me when I was 28. I knew I might conceive, I knew I might have business ideas at least back then, my brain was wired straight to the zeitgeist. It took me seven, eight, nine months to realize that I mightn’t produce a game at all, let alone a game that I was also directing… It made me realize that there are things things we’re good at, even great at, and things we’re not.
The words are harsh, and David Jaffe advised Phil Spencer to go to therapy. “You are not good at this role […] man, this is not an isolated case. »
By saying that this is not an isolated case, David Jaffe is referring here to the other game postponements that Xbox has had to announce in recent years. Halo Infinite was certainly the best example where, following a year of postponement, the developers still failed to release the game’s cooperative and Forge modes in time. These modes were postponed several times and are today a little later this year.
According to Jaffe, a big postponement is not necessarily a problem in itself, but it certainly becomes one when there is nothing to eat next.
David Jaffe, still admits that Phil Spencer is a visionary
On his side, Phil Spencer responded to Xbox fans following the postponement of these two major games. He recalled that this type of decision was always difficult to make but that he supported his teams to get out of games when they were really ready. He nevertheless said he heard the feedback from the community and wanted to “better meet expectations. Without specifying what it was, we imagine here that Xbox studios will now be more careful when it comes to announcing a release date.
David Jaffe is not really known for having his tongue in his pocket. Last year, when rumors of a new Twisted Metal game (a franchise he co-created) surfaced at Sony, he directly threatened the manufacturer when he learned that he had no not been called back. “I know things. I know where the bodies are buried. And I even know who pulled the trigger before they buried the fucking bodies… You should have called me. I’m not saying I’m going to reveal stuff that will hurt people because I don’t want to be an asshole. But… you should have called me. You should have called me. »
The creator’s comments to Phil Spencer are harsh, but he still admits that the boss of Xbox remains a visionary and says he loves Phil Spencer’s vision with the Game Pass. “You’re so close, Phil Spencer. Your plan is solid, your infrastructure with regard to these studios is solid, it’s great, but you don’t know how to manage. You just don’t know how to do it” he added.
Although Phil Spencer was part of the team behind the Xbox One, he has greatly transformed Xbox since he took over. As we have explained in several articles since, it was he who knew how to re-motivate his troops following difficult years and with the support of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Phil Spencer has worked hard for inclusion, pushed Xbox Game Pass ever further, and revitalized the brand with new consoles and the acquisition of major studios. For the moment, and following a particularly prosperous year 2021, it is clear that it will still take a little time before Xbox releases find their cruising speed.