Newly appointed Xbox boss Asha Sharma may only have been on the job for a little over a month, but that hasn't stopped her from making an early impact. Her latest? Announce that the popular Xbox FanFest community event will be making a return, and it won't be long before it happens.
As part of an Xbox Games Showcase announcement on June 7, followed by a Gears of War E-Day Direct right after, Sharma revealed that “as part of the return of Xbox,” FanFest will also return.
“In my first month, I heard clearly that our community values Xbox FanFest,” Sharma wrote on Twitter. “As part of the return of the Xbox, we made the decision to bring it back to LA to recognize the players who have been with us over the years.
“Looking forward to celebrating together!”
As Pure Xbox noted in its report, the popular FanFest event was not held last year, although Xbox did have a general Xbox Games Showcase event. Instead, it was an all-digital event, but that didn't stop Xbox fans from hosting their own version of FanFest.
Together they held a watch party at one location, complete with giveaways and special guests. It required registrations and a lottery system, so it wasn't completely open to everyone, but it showed how much Xbox fans value in-person gatherings and the overall community aspect of gaming.
This year's event, per Xbox Wire, will seemingly take a similar approach, with fans encouraged to enter for a chance to win free tickets. Details on what to expect at the event are scarce, but it appears that it will be in keeping with Microsoft's overall desire to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Xbox brand.
“This year's experience will include a look back at the past 25 years, along with a look ahead at what's next,” the post noted.
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Sharma has had an early impact on Xbox
Despite a lack of time at the helm, Sharma has made his mark. Immediately following her stint, Sharma hinted at a potential return of Xbox exclusives, something the brand apparently moved away from with many of its marquee titles moving to PlayStation.
Then, the much-maligned “This is an Xbox” ad campaign was immediately discontinued, with a Microsoft spokesperson later confirming that it was Sharma who was behind the decision.
“Asha retired 'This is an Xbox' because it didn't feel like Xbox,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central. “She is personally leading a reset of how we emerge as a brand.”
It's clear that Sharma sees a big part of his role as returning the brand to where it once was, whether it's winding down ad campaigns that don't make sense or bringing back fan parties that drove community engagement.
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