During a recent panel at the Paley Center for Media in Menlo Park, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer spoke about the importance of attracting fans of individual development studios like Double Fine Productions.
Spencer shared some thoughts during a conversation with Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer. The pair discussed the “human nature” of the creative process, and Spencer noted the unique advantage of Double Fine's audience.
“One of the things I like about Double Fine is that they only made about one and a half sequels to their games, and what did you end up with? There are Double Fine fans. [as a developer]'” Spencer said. “You want to make sure that the platform has a way to show their love for Double Fine without even knowing what their next game might be, like their next game is very different from the last.” Guardian”
“We have a ton of fans who are Double Fine fans first and foremost, and then of course we have the core franchises and we make sure that the people who love Mining craftCall of Duty or Fortnite there is a place to come together and create positive interactions. It's a real business imperative and also a creative imperative because we see the most success when those communities thrive, and that's increasingly true in gaming and I think that's true across all media.”
His comments stand in stark contrast to Microsoft's actions in 2025. fired hundreds of developers And closed some studiosstopping development of several games before they had a chance to develop their own fan base. This presents a particularly challenging situation for Xbox developers, which Double Fine will have to navigate as it tries to grow its existing fan base.
Double Fine founder Tim Schafer wants players to see developers as people
During the discussion, Tim Schafer talked about the history of Double Fine, as well as their crowdfunding and community efforts in the 2010s, when the studio produced a documentary about their development journey. Broken Age— helped focus on the developer's image beyond just the games they released.
“I see it as kind of a mission statement: People don't realize that video games are made by people, that a lot of people really care about them and that it's a labor of love,” Schafer said. I think there is a tendency among people in media companies to share your experiences in a very positive and one-sided way, which can alienate people who don't see you as human. I just think it’s okay to be human.”
Spencer made other comments while discussing the human nature of creativity, such as briefly mentioning that Microsoft Gaming uses generative artificial intelligence for social moderation and safety, not for creative purposes. He also said that in the current climate, there is a growing risk associated with maintaining a creative-driven business, and one potential way to find stability and maintain success is to think outside the box.
“I think there is something uniquely human about the creative process, and we make sure we protect and encourage it in the creative industry,” said the Microsoft Gaming CEO. “It's not always easy because there are certain things that will be rewarded in the marketplace and certain things that won't be rewarded, but I think it's the bravest thing a team can do, whether you're making a movie or a TV show, to go and put something out there on the Internet for him to appreciate and appreciate and comment on.”
