Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Has No Regrets Taking Chance With Mixer

In June, Microsoft made the surprise announcement that it was closing its streaming service Mixer, with high-profile streamers Ninja and Shroud leaving the platform to go elsewhere. Now, Spencer has spoken more about the decision to close Mixer, saying he has no regrets.

"It's obviously a disappointment when you try to grow something to the scale it needs to get to and you don't get there," Spencer told GI.biz. "I don't have regrets. You make decisions with the best information you have at the time, you apply your best effort, and we're in a creative industry. We are in a hits-driven industry."

Spencer said he's proud of Microsoft for being a company that is not afraid of trying new things, even when they don't work out. "That is just the art of making video games, and frankly game platforms," he said.

Mixer started out as a platform called Beam, which Microsoft acquired from its teenage founders in 2016. Microsoft is said to have paid Ninja $10 million to stream exclusively on Mixer, and when Microsoft closed Mixer, it reportedly bought Ninja out of his contract to the tune of $30 million. One of Mixer's early selling points was its low latency and high streaming quality, and MIcrosoft was able to give out rewards during livestreamed events, such as its press conferences, when viewers were connected to their Microsoft accounts.

Going forward, Microsoft's livestreaming efforts will be focused on Facebook Gaming, but the Xbox One dashboard will not be updated with ads for Facebook Gaming.