Throughout a current Paley Middle for Media panel in Menlo Park, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer described the significance of cultivating followers of particular person growth studios like Double Nice Productions.
Spencer shared some insights whereas talking with Double Nice Productions founder Tim Schafer. The pair had been discussing the “human nature” of the inventive course of, and Spencer identified the distinctive benefit of Double Nice’s viewers.
“One of many issues I like about Double Nice is that they’ve solely made about one and a half sequels for his or her video games, and what do you find yourself with? There are followers of Double Nice [as a developer],” mentioned Spencer. “You wish to make it possible for on the platform there is a technique to present your love of Double Nice, even not realizing what their subsequent factor may be, like their subsequent sport may be very totally different from Keeper.”
“We’ve a ton of followers who’re Double Nice followers first, after which, in fact, we’ve got the important thing franchises, ensuring that individuals who love Minecraft, Name of Responsibility, or Fortnite have a spot to come back collectively and create constructive interactions. It is an actual enterprise crucial in addition to a inventive crucial, as a result of we see probably the most success when these communities are thriving, and that is more and more true in gaming, and I believe that is true throughout all media.”
His feedback are a hanging distinction with Microsoft’s actions in 2025. The corporate has laid off a whole lot of builders and closed some studios, ending growth on a number of video games earlier than they’d an opportunity to earn a fanbase of their very own. This presents a very difficult place for Xbox builders, one Double Nice must tackle whereas making an attempt to evolve their current fanbase.
Double Nice founder Tim Schafer needs gamers to see builders as human
Throughout the panel, Tim Schafer spoke about Double Nice’s historical past, and the way their crowdfunding efforts and neighborhood outreach within the 2010s – which noticed the studio movie a documentary about their growth journey on Damaged Age—helped give attention to depicting the developer as extra than simply the video games they launched.
“I view this as a type of mission assertion: individuals do not realize that human beings make video video games, that many individuals actually care about them, and that these are labors of affection,” mentioned Schafer. I believe there is a tendency for individuals in media corporations to share their experiences in a really constructive, one-sided means, which could alienate individuals who do not see you as human beings. I simply assume it is okay to be human beings.”
Spencer made different feedback discussing the human nature of creativity, like briefly mentioning that Microsoft Gaming is utilizing generative AI for social moderation and safety, not inventive duties. He additionally mentioned there are rising dangers with sustaining a inventive targeted enterprise within the present panorama, and one potential avenue to search out stability and keep success is to assume past a singular medium.
“I believe that there is one thing uniquely human concerning the inventive course of and ensuring that we shield and nurture that in a inventive trade,” mentioned the Microsoft Gaming CEO. “It is not at all times straightforward, as a result of there are specific issues that shall be rewarded out there and sure issues that will not, however I believe it is the bravest factor a staff can do, whether or not you make a film or a tv present, to go and put one thing out for the web to judge and choose and touch upon.”
