Over the weekend, and following the announcement that Asha Sharma is the new CEO of Xbox, a wave of claims began circulating online. Some accused her of being AI-generated. Others suggested she was faking her tweets. Just about every angle was picked apart.
That speculation reached her, prompting Sharma, on her very first day in the role, to respond directly. She replied to Ryan McCaffrey of IGN, firmly denying the claims.
So, let’s take a look at exactly what was said. It was a wild weekend for Xbox fans, and Monday did not slow things down either. Between "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign failures and the many takes on X about Sharma as CEO, the conversation quickly spiralled out of control.
Some of it was cautiously optimistic. A lot of it was not. A few people on X (and I will not name names), accused Sharma of being a fake gamer. Others went as far as suggesting she was an AI bot.
Ryan McCaffrey shared his concerns as well, though in a far more thoughtful way. He suggested she may at least have someone more knowledgeable about video games nearby, helping her navigate things. Sharma saw the post and responded this morning, stating:
I agree. Faking would be a terrible idea and wouldn’t work. I also didn't expect my gamertag to blowup and the reality is more boring. I created it recently to learn and understand this world. I’ve played with my family, and it’s a shared home account across devices (which you can see in the range of games /achievements). Fixed that this weekend and everyone is only playing on their own GTs. But I get where this is coming from. I don’t pretend to be the best gamer and even though I’m playing, that’s still not my goal. My focus is to make Xbox the best place to play, return to our roots, ship great things, and become stronger for the future. And yes, I’m writing my own posts :)
Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO
That response certainly challenges the claims being made, whether people choose to believe her or not. She has also spent the weekend replying to fans directly on X. We covered several of the more notable exchanges already, and they are worth checking out.
Personally, I have been impressed so far, cautiously so. Xbox has a lot to prove.
As much as I believe Phil is the reason we even have an Xbox to criticise today, it was in need of fresh energy. I am hopeful this could be that shift. As her team begins to take shape, it will hopefully not be long before we start seeing what the future of Xbox actually looks like.
Are you satisfied with Asha Sharma's response?
Do you believe Asha Sharma’s response has addressed the concerns, or do you think Xbox still has more to prove under its new leadership? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:
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