Over the last 24 hours or so, some folks have been getting a bit worked up - or just plain hysterical in some cases - and stirring up rumors that Microsoft was preparing to pull the plug on its Xbox Music and Video services. Why? Well, it all stems from a couple of sentences dropped into Microsoft's earnings call last night by its CEO Satya Nadella.
He said that with the company's "decision to focus on gaming, we expect to close Xbox Entertainment Studios and streamline our investments in music and video. We will invest in our core console gaming in Xbox Live with a view towards the broader PC and mobile gaming opportunity."
Some took this to mean that the end was nigh for Xbox Music and Video. Frankly, though, it's not that hard to understand why - the underlying implication there seemed to be that the company was planning to focusing less on these entertainment areas, and more on the gaming side of things. Nadella also referred to the imminent closure of the division responsible for producing original content for the Xbox platform in the same breath.
Nonetheless, some began to draw conclusions from comments that were really only painting a picture in very broad strokes, rather than dealing with real specifics.
Today, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore clarified the company's position, and reaffirmed its commitment to Xbox Music and Video for those concerned that these services might be going to the great Recycle Bin in the sky:
Additionally, Belfiore made it clear that the company is continuing development work on these services, and teased a major update on the way for Xbox Music:
So there's no need to panic - take a deep breath and calm yourself with the knowledge that Xbox Music and Video are here to stay. And don't forget that, although the company isn't commissioning any new original shows, later this year, its new Halo live-action series, Nightfall, will be shown on Xbox Video.
Source: @joebelfiore
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