There’s even a leaked brand segmentation study that’s downright cruel. It classifies the remaining Xbox audience as “Low-Born Enthusiasts” — their words, not mine — defined by low discretionary income, low upgrade intent, and high emotional investment. Marketing’s pivoting toward what they call “resilient prole loyalty.” I wish I were kidding.

At this point, it’s not “if” Xbox becomes a publisher — it’s “how ugly the transition looks.” Retailers are walking away, Phil’s a mascot with no control, and Game Pass is about to cost as much as a full streaming bundle.

The real kicker: Phil’s basically been cut out. I don’t mean he’s gone — he’s still technically Head of Gaming — but his entire org chart has been hollowed out. He doesn’t sign off on pricing, doesn’t set strategy, and apparently wasn’t even briefed before they greenlit the $30/month Game Pass tier adjustment slated for early 2026. One person I spoke to described it as “the first time Phil learned about his own platform’s pricing via a Teams slide.” They’ve started calling him Gen X Grandpa behind his back.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5784163&forum_id=2:#49332981)