Asha Sharma praises OD in a new interview and speaks highly of Xbox's collaboration with Kojima Productions. She adds that OD is the type of game that Xbox should support, as it seeks to expand the type of titles available on the platform.
However, Sharma's comments come right as many Xbox developers brace themselves for a layoff. It has already been confirmed that there will be major cuts as part of Xbox's “reset”, with entire studios expected to close, or at best, be sold or made independent.
Asha Sharma wants Xbox to bring in more creators and developers – while it's leaving creators and developers behind.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly , Sharma says that OD proves that Xbox “hasn't reached the limits of gaming” it wants on its platform.
“We need to make sure our platform is open enough so that more creators and developers can come on board and succeed,” adds Sharma. “The other Kojima is still unknown.”
She is, of course, right to point out that there is a lot of untapped potential in the gaming industry. Right now, even industry veterans like Kojima may struggle to get their projects funded – in the same interview, he says other companies are missing out on opportunities to support OD. So, if you're a first-time dev with a bright idea, you're definitely going to struggle to find a backer.
The only problem with Sharma saying this is that his big Xbox reset plan will result in Xbox losing a bunch of talent. Or, as Sharma puts it, losing “another Kojima.”
Right now, Xbox probably seems like a steady partner on your side. Days after Ninja Theory announced its new game, Senua, it was reported that the studio had shut down. In fact, it has since been claimed that Xbox was already considering getting rid of the studio before deciding to platform Senua's reveal in its showcase. It's hard to get excited about new Xbox games when the studio isn't guaranteed to be around much longer.
At the very least, Bethesda is insisting that an Akane's Blade game is still happening, despite the silence from the project and fears that the studio may be shutting down as well. It remains to be seen how Xbox's various studios will fare when the reset plans roll out.
