The PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 … simple, sequential, easy to understand. Then there’s Team Green that decided ‘nah, dawg’ and went Xbox, Xbox 360, and then the Xbox One. While we know the next Xbox is just around the corner, we have no idea what the possible name would be – especially since Microsoft loves to go in for the surprise. Outside of the codename ‘Scarlet’, we have no idea what the team will brand their upcoming console for the new generation. While we still don’t have a definitive answer, Xboss Phil Spencer did tease the process behind branding while looking back on previous choices.
Stevivor spoke with Spencer during X019 earlier this year to talk about next-gen to talk about the naming process. When talking about their process, Spencer told the site “Our naming convention has been around what we think the capabilities are,” Spencer added to his response.
“Xbox 360 was about the entertainment experience around the box and the box being in the center of that entertainment experience. Xbox One, if you remember our branding early on, was ‘always on input, all in one’. Those names were really built around the purpose of the box.”
He then added that Xbox consoles are “self-contained,” which means a sequential naming process doesn’t make sense for them and their vision for how their systems fit into the gaming community. While the Xbox One fell short at launch due to poor reception, over the years Spencer and his team have worked hard to turn that around. From backwards compatibility to the Xbox Game Pass – even more studio acquisitions and furthering into the realm of RPGs and JRPGs – the team is serious about being what gamers want. While the name might not make sense to everyone – whatever name they choose – it will be interesting to see what next-gen has to offer with all of the internal changes afoot.
