Both Destiny and Guitar Hero could’ve ended up as Xbox exclusives – if Microsoft Gaming lead Phil Spencer hadn’t “passed” on signing the now iconic titles.
Speaking at a PAX West panel, Spencer reveals that Xbox considered signing Bungie’s beloved sci-fi shooter but ultimately chose not to: “Getting the pitch for Destiny on ‘do we want to sign this’ – we ended up not signing Destiny. It obviously went with Activision, and to see what it grew into, like from a business kind of Xbox standpoint, I can look at it … and it’s just a really interesting journey in terms of what [Bungie] built.”
After briefly comparing Destiny to Halo , fellow Bungie banger and arguably one of the most successful Xbox exclusives ever, Spencer explains that the online shooter initially “didn’t really click” with him as he’s not a “big PvP player.” His mind gradually changed as the game’s second expansion dropped, though: “It turns out that’s not what it was at all like, and when [House of] Wolves came out, it definitely landed me.”
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Despite his eventual love for Destiny, Spencer doesn’t dwell on the decision to not sign the game – after all, it’s one of many: “I’ve passed on some of the worst, like made some of the worst game choice decisions.” Another such game that got away was Guitar Hero, a title that Spencer says he felt at first wasn’t “going to work” for Xbox. The concept was too surreal, from the toy-esque instrument plugged directly into a console to the gameplay itself.
“[Alex Rigopulos] pitches a game where they’re actually going to make plastic guitars and they’re going to plug into consoles and then they’re going to sell tracks … “I’m like, ‘really, do we really think that’s going to work?'” The strange formula did indeed end up working. “A few people played Guitar Hero,” Spencer jokes. “I hear that was turned into a pretty good game.” He still doesn’t regret not signing, though.
“I’m not a regrets type person. Maybe that’s a fault of mine, but I passed on so many games.” Instead of looking back with frustration, Spencer tries to “look forward and be positive about the things we are doing.” With smash-hit games like Destiny, that means celebrating studios such as Bungie and their monumental work: “I just like to celebrate what the team has done. I mean, it’s incredible.”
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“I passed on so many games”: Phil Spencer says he’s made some of the “worst” decisions when it comes to Xbox exclusives, like not signing Destiny or Guitar Hero
