In 2024, Microsoft and Xbox launched a marketing campaign designed to indicate just how many things could be classified as an Xbox. The theme of the campaign was simply that – ‘This is an Xbox.’ It showed how everything from televisions to phones, and from consoles to VR headsets could be classed as an Xbox, but it unfortunately diluted the brand.
In recent hours, it has been noticed that Microsoft is silently shutting down all traces of the campaign, removing old news articles and blog posts that refer to ‘This is an Xbox’.
Maybe This Isn’t An Xbox After All
Eagle-eyed gamers have noticed that Microsoft has started shredding all traces of the This is an Xbox marketing campaign that surfaced in 2024. It was one of the first nods to Xbox being a platform and not just a home console device, but it didn’t go down well with fans and became something of a joke amongst the wider community.
People were lifting toasters and hair-dryers and declaring them as Xbox devices… You get the picture.
Following the shock appointment of Asha Sharma as the new leader of Xbox (and the retirement of Phil Spencer), the campaign headed by Sarah Bond has been silently stripped from the internet.
Everything related to This is an Xbox is now returning 404 errors. For instance, a page that would have once led you to everything related to that tag just returns:
It was recently claimed by some that the troublesome campaign had a hand in Sarah Bond’s sudden departure, which aligned with Phil Spencer’s retirement from Xbox.
However, despite the message having been entirely removed, it still stands somewhat. In a recent GDC presentation, the Xbox team revealed that the future of the console is a multi-platform thing. It still intends to offer a broad Xbox service across PC, handheld, console, VR, and everything else associated with the Xbox label.
That’s in addition to the recent announcement of Project Helix, the next-generation Xbox unit that’s being described as a hybrid PC-console invention.
Are you surprised to see the marketing campaign deleted by Microsoft? Let us know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Pokémon Pokopia has surged beyond two million sales
Grant's adoration for gaming started on the Amstrad CPC in 1996. Now, he's a multi-platform expert gamer with a deep love for the industry, a passion for esports, and more…
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