Microsoft recently announced that this will be the final season for the Ambassadors program. The program nurtured the Xbox community for the past few years and to see it end so abruptly raised a few eyebrows amongst the ambassadors, and this could cause a rift between the gaming community and the developers. There is no telling of the reach or damage of this sudden change; however, the company seems optimistic for the future.
Perhaps the gaming company no longer sees the value of community interactions and decided to shift resources elsewhere. Affected individuals will be compensated in ways more than one after the Ambassador program officially ends.
The Gaming Community Is Wondering What Microsoft Is up to After Ending the Ambassador Program
It is no secret that the Xbox platform has been through some rough patches throughout the previous console generations. Phil Spencer was appointed head of Xbox Game Studios for the past decade and made a few questionable decisions during his regime. Chief among Spencer’s fumbles was not signing on to an exclusivity deal for Destiny because he failed to see the potential, and later on, it became a massive success shared across various platforms and rival companies that could have greatly benefitted the Xbox platform if the game was an exclusive.
Change is inevitable and the executives must make drastic decisions to keep up with the competition and the fast-paced nature of the gaming community. Recently, Microsoft announced that this will be the final season of Xbox Ambassadors and everything the program stood for will be carried on throughout other avenues to promote the Xbox brand. Some community members are worried that this sudden change reflects the company’s lack of interest in generating more community interactions.
The main reason for this change is for growth and Microsoft executives have noticed that other avenues could help the brand grow and reach the community more conveniently. The Ambassador program has greatly contributed to the development of the Xbox brand and fostered great friendships and relationships within the community; unfortunately, all great things must end. Global inclusivity is the company’s priority and other programs will continue the great work that the Ambassador program started.
It is crucial to have strong interaction between the gaming community and developers to establish a solid foundation. Removing the ambassador program could have serious consequences. It could be purely coincidental, but Xbox might be following in the footsteps of Minecraft, as Mojang Studios removed the mob vote that heavily relied on community engagement and this was an opportunity for the player base to cast their votes and let their voices be heard.
The End of the Xbox Ambassadors Program Could Be the Start of Something New
Change can be scary; however, it is necessary. The gaming industry is known to be a cut-throat business and Microsoft could have bigger plans for platform growth and shutting down the Ambassador program could be one casualty. Community engagement is essential, especially when the competition presents the community with something more convenient and appealing.
The Ambassador program has given the Microsoft executives everything they could have wanted and more and this was a great way to interact with community members. Removing this program could drive a wedge between the player base and the brand; however, the company is eager to bring everything they have learned from the program through other avenues for maximum coverage.
The Xbox platform is still one of the biggest gaming organizations run by businessmen and women to assert dominance and maintain public relevancy. Community interactions can make or break how a player base perceives a platform and removing one of its most influential programs could be a massive mistake, or the thing the company needs to innovate and move forward.
In the past, Microsoft has made some creative decisions that have been widely regarded as confusing and questionable. Hopefully, the executives weighed their options carefully and prepared countermeasures to prevent the gaming community from concluding that the company was turning its back on community interactions.
What are your thoughts about Microsoft ending the Xbox Ambassadors program? Let us know in the comments section below!
