Last week during The Game Awards, Microsoft's Phil Spencer took to the stage to unveil the "Xbox Series X." The next generation of Microsoft's platform, many were confused by the title. What did Series X even signify? Was this a placeholder name until something better came along? Apparently that last one is true, though the actual title isn't much more clarifying.
In a new reporter from Business Insider, Microsoft has confirmed that the title for the next Xbox will be simply Xbox. "The name we're carrying forward to the next generation is simply Xbox," a Microsoft representative said. "At The Game Awards, you saw that name come to life through the Xbox Series X."
What this means is that Microsoft is, essentially, relaunching the Xbox brand for the next generation. Instead of going for titles that make a temporary sense, Microsoft is hoping to turn the Xbox ecosystem into something similar to PC. Because of its dedication to backward compatibility, particular hardware has become less relevant. One doesn't need to break out the original 2001 Xbox to play some of its games, for instance.
Backing up this assertion, the Microsoft rep told Business Insider, "Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name 'Xbox Series X' allows room for additional consoles in the future." Nothing is currently planned beyond this launch, but Microsoft isn't keen to completely abandon the infrastructure it's building.
Honestly, that doesn't sound so bad. The title of "Xbox" will be confusing to people that were around for the original's launch, but it should make buying games in the future more digestible. When the PS4 and Xbox One launched, a lot of publishers were releasing cross-generational games on both new and older hardware. By having a single console play everything, one won't have to worry about grabbing the wrong version or their games being incompatible with future hardware.
Microsoft could have possibly gone with a different name, but then Xbox has become synonymous with the company's gaming division anyway. Why not lean into that branding and make it your entire console marketing strategy? Sounds perfectly fine to me.
Source: Business Insider