Recently, Microsoft announced that it had hired Portal developer Kim Swift as the senior director of its cloud gaming team to help do exactly that. And according to Xbox Game Studios Publishing head Peter Wyse, it’s a mission Xbox head Phil Spencer is always talking about. Speaking with Polygon, Wyse says that the possibility of high-fidelity gaming on phones is what he finds particularly exciting.
RELATED: Microsoft Bringing Next-Gen Xbox Games to Xbox One with Xbox Cloud Gaming
Between the variety of different games it has in the works, the Game Pass service, and cloud gaming, it’s not just about accessibility for Microsoft but also inclusivity and diversity within both Microsoft’s games and the company itself. Wyse highlights Dontnod’s narrative game Tell Me Why, saying that it speaks to the company’s values regarding LGBTQIA+ representation and mental health awareness.
Wyse goes on to talk about the company’s own diversity initiatives, such as its partnership with the Gameheads program which assists and prepares young people of color and those from low-income backgrounds for jobs within the games industry. It has also published details regarding its Racial Equity Initiative, where Microsoft writes that it is committed to diversifying and increasing representation within the workplace.
It’s even acknowledged in another blog post that cloud gaming isn’t completely viable at the moment as there are millions of people who lack a broadband connection, particularly Black and African American families. So, it has already begun investing in projects that will improve access to affordable broadband for racial and ethnic minorities and further opening up opportunities for more people to experience Xbox games.
Diversity has undeniably become an increasingly important factor within gaming, not just with the types of games being sold but also in regard to the people making them, the kind of stories they tell, and the characters that star in them. Some may argue that Microsoft is already doing a better job at this than Sony, which is more focused on making huge, cinematic experiences. There have been complaints that Sony’s line-up of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles is rather homogeneous, although Sony has insisted it’s dedicated to offering a diverse line-up.
MORE: Starfield’s Exclusivity is the Leg-Up Xbox Needs for Xbox Series X
Source: Polygon, Microsoft Racial Equity Initiative, Microsoft: Addressing racial and digital inequity
