Summary
- Former Forza boss Alan Hartman has been appointed as the head of Xbox Game Studios, overseeing 23 development studios including Turn 10 and Bethesda.
- Microsoft's reorganization of leadership positions in Xbox is part of its effort to prepare for the future of the gaming industry and to accommodate the expansion of Microsoft Gaming.
- The partnership between AI and Xbox is expected to speed up game development processes across Microsoft's catalog of game studios and titles, leveraging the newly acquired franchises from Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft has appointed former Forza boss Alan Hartman as the head of the Xbox publishing team, aptly named Xbox Game Studios. Xbox has experienced a bevy of changes following Microsoft's massive acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In the wake of one of the biggest shakeups in the history of the gaming industry, the teams over at Xbox are shuffling a bit to accommodate the rapidly expanding umbrella that is Microsoft Gaming.
Microsoft recently announced Xbox's new President, Sarah Bond, amid a flurry of moves for the company. To better prepare for the future of the gaming industry, Microsoft has reorganized many of its leadership positions. This included moving the former head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, to a new role as President of Game Content and Studios. This position involves overseeing all of Microsoft Gaming which includes ZeniMax and Bethesda. With that promotion, there has been a major role made available thanks to the restructuring – the head of Xbox Game Studios.
Former Turn 10 Studios Vice President, Alan Hartman, has been named the new head of Xbox Game Studios. The newly appointed studio head took to LinkedIn to express his excitement over the recently announced promotion. "Thrilled to be representing such an elite set of game creators in my new role leading Xbox Game Studios!" He wrote. Hartman will now oversee 23 development studios that call Xbox home, including those under Bethesda Softworks. Of course, one of the companies within Xbox Game Studios is Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10.
Thrilled to be representing such an elite set of game creators in my new role leading Xbox Game Studios!
Turn 10 Studios has been responsible for developing the Forza Motorsport franchise since the formation of the company in 2001. The racing series has consistently scored solid-to-rave reviews across its eight main entries. The most recent installment in the franchise, simply titled Forza Motorsport, was received well as a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass. In fact, Forza Motorsport is one of the best-reviewed games of the year.
Part of the reason for the shakeup coincides with Microsoft announcing a partnership between AI and Xbox. AI has obviously been a buzzword for countless tech-related industries, but Microsoft looks to incorporate these new technologies to speed up development. These tools will presumably be used across Microsoft's catalog of game studios and titles.
Xbox now owns an impressive library of franchises following the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Juggernauts like Call of Duty and Overwatch join longtime Xbox franchises like Halo, Forza, and Gears of War. These are only just a couple of the headliners, as there are dozens of fan-favorite series now with the Xbox family.
Microsoft Xbox Series X
- 4K Capability
- Yes, Up to 120Hz
- Power Source
- AC Adapter
- Brand
- Microsoft
- Processing Power
- 12.16 TFLOPS (GPU)
- Storage
- 1TB custom SSD
- CPU
- 8-Core Custom AMD Zen 2-based Chip
The Xbox Series X boasts the fastest CPU and GPU configuration currently available for a current-generation console while offering 1TB of fast SSD storage for users out of the box.
It comes with an Xbox Series S|X controller, a power cord, and documentation along with a trial for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in the box.