Phil Spencer Is Against Expansions That Are “Manipulative” and Cut From Base Games

Phil Spencer has spoken out against what he calls “manipulative expansions”—additional content derived from material cut during the development of the base game rather than created from scratch. He emphasized that Xbox aims for a different approach, which focuses on fostering genuine creativity over rehashed content.

Freedom for Developers at Microsoft

In an interview with Game File (thanks Gamesradar), Spencer assured that Microsoft imposes no obligations on developers to produce additional content that doesn’t align with their creative vision. “It’s really left to the creators what plan they have for their stories. I think it’s a great way for us to re-engage players who may be lapsed,” said the CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

“I don’t like expansions that are manipulative,” Spencer continued. “I want it to have a unique point of view. I don’t want it to be, like, the third level that you cut before you launched.”

The Starfield Case

Phil Spencer’s words take on particular meaning when viewed in the context of Todd Howard’s recent statements about Starfield’s expansion, Shattered Space. Howard addressed development timelines and bugs while also outlining plans for adding new features.

“We’re always learning,” Spencer says. “Todd and I were talking about Shattered Space. Starfield is a game I put a ton of hours into and really love, but they’ve had this thing where they’ve added features throughout the year and then they had an expansion.”