Phil Spencer (business executive)

Spencer joined Microsoft in 1988 as an intern and has worked in a number of technical roles, leading the development of Microsoft's first CD-ROM-based titles (such as Encarta), development manager for Microsoft Money, and general manager of Microsoft's online and offline consumer productivity products including Microsoft Works and Microsoft Picture It!{{r|xboxbio}}{{cite web |title=Kinect Accelerator Mentor: Phil Spencer |url=http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/kinectaccelerator/mentors/philspencer.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313115859/http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/kinectaccelerator/mentors/philspencer.aspx |archive-date=March 13, 2014 |access-date=April 6, 2014 |website=Microsoft}} During his early time at Microsoft, he was known by other employees to be an avid gamer, playing games such as Ultima Online in the office.{{r|wsj profile}}

With the launch of the Xbox in 2001, Spencer joined the Xbox team and served as general manager of Microsoft Game Studios EMEA, working with Microsoft's European developers and studios such as Lionhead Studios and Rare until 2008, when he became the general manager of Microsoft Studios, eventually becoming the studio's corporate vice president a year later.{{r|ms}}{{cite web |last=Peckham |first=Matt |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Welcome Phil Spencer, Microsoft's New Xbox-Everything Honcho |url=https://time.com/43939/welcome-phil-spencer-microsofts-new-xbox-everything-honcho/ |work=Time |language=en-US |access-date=April 6, 2014 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220070305/http://time.com/43939/welcome-phil-spencer-microsofts-new-xbox-everything-honcho/ |url-status=live }} He has participated in Microsoft's E3 conferences since 2010.{{cite web |last=Cowen |first=Nick |date=July 15, 2010 |title=E3 2010: Phil Spencer interview |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7890823/E3-2010-Phil-Spencer-interview.html |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |access-date=April 6, 2014 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401163330/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7890823/E3-2010-Phil-Spencer-interview.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/videos/53413/phil-spencer-e3-2011-interview/ |title=Phil Spencer E3 2011 Interview |publisher=G4tv |date=2011-06-07 |access-date=2014-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192806/http://www.g4tv.com/videos/53413/phil-spencer-e3-2011-interview/|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/13yxve/microsoft-e3-2012--phil-spencer-post-conference-interview |title=E3 2012: Phil Spencer Post-Conference Interview |date=2012-06-05 |access-date=2014-04-06 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407140124/http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/13yxve/microsoft-e3-2012--phil-spencer-post-conference-interview |url-status=live }}{{cite web |date=2013-06-10 |title=E3 2013: Phil Spencer Talks Xbox One Lineup |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/86lf4h/xbox-one-e3-2013--phil-spencer-talks-xbox-one-lineup |access-date=2014-04-06 |website=YouTube |publisher=GameTrailers |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407161756/http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/86lf4h/xbox-one-e3-2013--phil-spencer-talks-xbox-one-lineup |url-status=live }}

In late March 2014, Satya Nadella announced in a corporate e-mail that Spencer was to "lead the Xbox, Xbox Live, Groove Music and Movies & TV teams, and Microsoft Studios" as part of the Windows and Devices division.{{r|time}}{{cite web |title=Satya Nadella email to employees on tuning our organization |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/misc/2014/mar14/03-31corpemail.aspx |publisher=Microsoft |date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=April 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424093218/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/misc/2014/mar14/03-31corpemail.aspx |archive-date=April 24, 2014}}

In September 2017, Spencer was promoted to the Senior Leadership Team, gaining the title of Executive Vice President of Gaming and reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella.{{cite web |last1=Weinberger |first1=Matt |date=September 19, 2017 |title=Microsoft Xbox boss Phil Spencer just got a big promotion, and will now report directly to CEO Satya Nadella |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-xbox-phil-spencer-gets-promoted-to-executive-vice-president-2017-9 |work=Business Insider |language=en-US |access-date=September 19, 2017 |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624150649/http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-xbox-phil-spencer-gets-promoted-to-executive-vice-president-2017-9 |url-status=live }}

In 2018, Spencer delivered the keynote address at the 2018 DICE Summit{{cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=February 23, 2018 |title=The DeanBeat: Microsoft's Phil Spencer steps up as a diversity leader |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/02/23/the-deanbeat-microsofts-phil-spencer-steps-up-as-a-diversity-leader/ |work=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=July 3, 2018}} and spoke at the 2018 Game Awards.{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=December 7, 2018 |title=Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo get up on stage at The Game Awards |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/06/sony-microsoft-and-nintendo-get-up-on-stage-at-the-game-awards/ |work=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503130550/https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/06/sony-microsoft-and-nintendo-get-up-on-stage-at-the-game-awards/ |url-status=live }}

In January 2022, along with the announcement of Microsoft's intent to acquire Activision Blizzard,{{cite news |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |date=January 18, 2022 |title=Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/18/22889258/microsoft-activision-blizzard-xbox-acquisition-call-of-duty-overwatch |work=The Verge |language=en-US |access-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118133548/https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/18/22889258/microsoft-activision-blizzard-xbox-acquisition-call-of-duty-overwatch |url-status=live }} Spencer was promoted to the role of CEO of Microsoft Gaming.{{cite news |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |date=January 18, 2022 |title=Read Microsoft Gaming CEO's email to staff about the Activision Blizzard acquisition |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/18/22889393/microsoft-gaming-ceo-phil-spencer-activision-blizzard-email |work=The Verge |language=en-US |access-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121041958/https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/18/22889393/microsoft-gaming-ceo-phil-spencer-activision-blizzard-email |url-status=live }}

Since taking over both Xbox and the Gaming division, Spencer has advocated for cross-platform play, as well as launched key initiatives, such as reintroducing backward compatibility to the Xbox platform, the purchase of Mojang and Bethesda, the further development and support of Minecraft, the introduction of Xbox Game Pass, launching the Xbox Adaptive Controller, an increased focus on PC gaming, porting some Microsoft published games to other platforms including the Nintendo Switch, the launch of xCloud, and increasing the number of first-party development studios.{{cite web |last=Parker |first=Laura |date=December 19, 2019 |title=Phil Spencer Is Exactly Who You Think He Is |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/phil-spencer-is-exactly-who-you-think-he-is/1100-6468846/ |work=GameSpot |language=en-US |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121120109/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/phil-spencer-is-exactly-who-you-think-he-is/1100-6468846/ |url-status=live }}

Spencer received the Lifetime Achievement award at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards on February 24, 2022,{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Matt |date=February 2, 2022 |title=Phil Spencer to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 25th Annual DICE Awards |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/phil-spencer-xbox-lifetime-achievement-award-dice |work=IGN |language=en-US |access-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203172147/https://www.ign.com/articles/phil-spencer-xbox-lifetime-achievement-award-dice |url-status=live }} and the Andrew Yoon Legend award at the New York Game Awards on January 17, 2023.{{cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=January 19, 2023 |title=New York Game Awards 2023: Elden Ring Wins Two Awards as Phil Spencer Is Honored |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/new-york-game-awards-2023-elden-ring-wins-two-awards-as-phil-spencer-is-honored |website=IGN |language=en-US |access-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-date=January 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118033959/https://www.ign.com/articles/new-york-game-awards-2023-elden-ring-wins-two-awards-as-phil-spencer-is-honored |url-status=live }}

Spencer attended Ridgefield High School in Ridgefield, Washington, and then earned a bachelor's degree in technical and scientific communication from the University of Washington.{{cite news |last=Tilley |first=Aaron |date=February 3, 2022 |title=Microsoft's Videogame Boss and the Long Battle to Reinvent the Company |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsofts-videogame-boss-and-the-long-battle-to-reinvent-the-company-11643912561 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |access-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220203193516/https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsofts-videogame-boss-and-the-long-battle-to-reinvent-the-company-11643912561#selection-3903.9-3903.79 |archive-date=February 3, 2022}} Spencer lives in the Seattle area with his wife and two daughters.{{cite web |title=Phil Spencer |url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Phil_Spencer_Bio.pdf |website=Xbox |language=en-US |access-date=April 7, 2023}}

He serves on the boards of the First Tee of Greater Seattle and the Entertainment Software Association.{{cite web |title=Phil Spencer |url=http://www.xbox.com/es-CL/Press/Corporate/phil-spencer |website=Xbox |language=en-US |access-date=April 6, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621123851/http://www.xbox.com/es-CL/Press/Corporate/phil-spencer |archive-date=June 21, 2016}}

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