- Xbox has announced XP, a new division expanding gaming into movies, TV, events, partnerships, and more.
- Former Mojang head Kayleen Walters will lead XP in taking franchises like Call of Duty and Halo beyond gaming.
- Xbox CSO Matthew Ball has outlined four investment areas with XP: Xbox Pictures, Products, Places, and Partnerships.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has announced the platform’s new division, XP, to expand gaming into movies, TV, community events, brand partnerships, and more. Sharma states that the name “XP” refers to the classic gaming term “Experience Points.” Kayleen Walters, who currently leads Mojang and served as executive producer on A Minecraft Movie, will become XP’s president.
Xbox Outlines New XP Division Across Four Key Areas
According to Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball in the latest Xbox Wire blog, Walters will leave Mojang and lead the XP team to expand the best Xbox game franchises such as Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo, and Fallout into film, TV, and other entertainment and community experiences, helping these brands reach wider audiences.
“Great games remain at the center of these franchises and at the heart of XBOX. XP will partner with the best creative minds across our studios, along with trusted partners, to build on that foundation and create more ways for people to experience the worlds they love,” wrote the Xbox CSO.
Ball has outlined the key Xbox XP divisions, which include four “XP” areas that will push the platform’s greatest franchises beyond gaming:
- Xbox Pictures: Bringing Xbox worlds and characters to new audiences through film, television, and other forms of linear storytelling.
- Xbox Products: Creating products that are authentic to the fandom that allow fans to celebrate and express the Xbox franchises they love.
- Xbox Places: Bringing communities together through live events, immersive experiences, attractions, broadcasts, and destinations.
- Xbox Partnerships: Working with creators, brands, and communities to develop new experiences, sponsorships, and brand partnerships.
Speaking of film, Xbox could use the XP division to expand Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT beyond gaming, building on its reported cinematic direction. Ball also praised Walters’ success with the Minecraft franchise, which sold over 425 million units to date, and A Minecraft Movie, which had the biggest opening ever for a video game adaptation.
“I cannot imagine a better leader for this division, and we are just getting started imagining what it will build,” Ball concluded. After Xbox’s recent “XBOX Reset” layoffs, this news is a much-needed positive development for players.
This also means Xbox players will see their favorite Xbox franchises adapted for both the big and small screen across movies and TV. That said, what do you think of the new Xbox XP division? Tell us in the comments section below.
