Team Xbox have been on a role recently, gathering momentum. Everything the heads at the top of this fantastic brand that we all love, is turning to gaming gold, be that acquiring studios to enhance the first party catalogue of titles available, helping to build and introduce new IP’s, giving talented designers and developers the freedom and tools to build the games that they have dreamed of, Cloud gaming and of course Xbox Game Pass, the service that just grows and grows, offering unbeatable value for money in the gaming world.
However, for all the praises Team Xbox get’s from the industry, myself and many other gaming fans out there, they drop the ball on a monumental issue, localization. It’s time Phil Spencer and the heads at the very top of the team (the game changers) recognize that in order to fulfil their goals of reaching billions of gamers out there, they must improve the official support they offer worldwide, and not just in certain areas of the market.
Microsoft being an American company, and Xbox a division of said company, are always going to have a strong fan base within America. I for one have the greatest respect and admiration for American values and the country itself, but there is often a whole world at there, that some don’t know exists, or it seems that way.
Crucify me if you will, but It’s a bit like the world series in baseball, where only American teams are present. That’s hardly a representation of the world playing the sport is it. Thankfully Xbox as a brand have branched out a bit, but they could do so much more.
Fortunately for myself i live in the UK, and we have a fantastic Team of Xbox personalities that help drive the market in this area of the world. We have a truly inspiring promotional team, who never fail to get the message across.
However, this hasn’t always been the case, and for many areas of the world, Xbox truly falls short even to this day, and I’m not just talking about the Japanese market, where Xbox as a brand have always tried to crack and support, but fail to do so, due to so called lack of interest, which i assure you, that is not the case.
Xbox as a brand and a main player in the gaming industry have started to turn the tide of years of underdevelopment from outside its key markets, with more countries receiving official Xbox support (official support doesn’t mean full support, see below). But for a global experience, gamers need more, and you can play your role in building one big worldwide gaming family.
Recently I joined a movement called the Xbox Community Hub, it’s goal – to highlight to Phil Spencer and the team at Xbox that for a truly Global gaming experience, there are countries and areas of the world that are receiving very little or even no Official Xbox support in their markets and it’s time to change!
Xbox Community Hub’s Catarina ‘CAT’ Ferreira explains the aim of this movement in a discord post. (you can join this fantastic discord here)
The Xbox Global Hub are now on to there next phase, an open letter addressed to Phil Spencer and a Petition titled ‘ Dear Xbox, we need you to globalize properly!’ and it would be absolutely amazing if we could count on your support. So please click the link Dear Xbox, we need you to globalize properly!, read the letter and sign up to help shape the Xbox brand!
“Mr. Phil Spencer
You cannot imagine how grateful we all are for everything you brought to Xbox. With your leadership, the Xbox teams did incredible things, even when it seemed like the entire world was weighing on you.
The strength, determination, perseverance, and faith you showed inspired us all to create a better world. You saw the talent and uniqueness in all the elements of a crushed team, and from the ashes something rose. And those wrecks are what made Xbox what it is today.
What a ride!
Xbox fans share wonderful unique stories, from all various backgrounds, united into one single family. The power that dreams, representation and visibility can have in people around the world is incredible. From all the places in a world which such diversity, Xbox is a home, a tribe where we can all connect and feel like we belong. That is probably your greatest achievement.
And for that, Xbox’s most powerful active are communities. The people that not only play on Xbox devices and services, but also find inspiration to follow their dreams, strength to fight their fears, courage to love again. They find their inner soldiers, adventurers, and leaders.
Today, for most of these communities Xbox is not there. The home we found seems to be abandoned with little to no services, and it can be difficult to get new consoles and support. Our hope grows thinner and our courage weaker. We are still suffering from the wrecks that were brought to you.
Community and regional leaders from dozens of countries around the world gathered as one single voice. Where before we felt so powerless from speaking alone, now we speak as one soul, and we ask you: please listen. We all want to be fully supported members of the Xbox family!
People are asking you to hear their stories, understand their side and make a commitment to make sure your teams improve things where possible, step by step. Some need more support for their communities, some need more marketing or language localization, others just want the chance to purchase a console at a physical store.
These are only a few requests we would like to discuss/have some feedback on:
– Increase the number of Xbox Live supported countries
– Improve regional teams and marketing in already supported countries
– Reach those billions of gamers by seeing the potential of smaller markets
– Broader globalization of features like Microsoft Rewards and promotions like Xbox All Access
– Provide solution for payment methods currently restricted, originating from unsupported countries
– Improve support for different languages on 1st party Xbox games
– Help developers improve localization
– Support the local communities
– Commitment to discuss these issues and possible solutions with Xbox fans
We are willing to be open and honest with you, to explain our struggles and reach out to find a common ground where we can all, truly, win.
Respectfully,
Xbox Community Hub”
With so many voices being heard, and Xbox executives already aware of the Xbox Global Hub movement hopefully Phil Spencer will engage with this fantastic dedicated group of passionate people, who truly want Xbox to embrace the world fully and offer more.
Please help me and support this fight, by joining the discord, taking the survey and signing and sharing the petition.
Many Thanks
Dave
Thank you so much for taking time for this, Dave.
YOU ARE AWESOME!
Thank you Dave, Catarina and to everyone taking part in this. You are all amazing! I’ve seen that everyone is so dedicated for this. People really want to be part of the Xbox experience in their home country and I hope to see more localization and Xbox regions in the future. Much love from Thailand to all of you reading this. <3
Please bring official Xbox support to Romania, we are a huge gaming market in the Eastern Europe and we are waiting for xbox here ever since 2006.
Romania is waiting for official Xbox support!
Thanks for all your efforts!