Geoff Keighley reveals how Phil Spencer managed to hide the announcement of Microsoft's new console until the gala, even for his own team.
Few expected that the presentation in society of the new console of Microsoft would take place in a framework like the Game Awards, but surprisingly, it was, getting the Xbox team that there was not a single leak the previous days or hours. In fact, several members of the same did not even know the final name of the console, finally Xbox Series X, which implies the good work that Phil Spencer did keeping the secret. Now, Geoff Keighley, producer and host of the event, has revealed how the head of the Xbox division did.
The Xbox Series X announcement was going to be the highlight of the The Game Awards gala, and nothing could spoil it. How did Phil Spencer manage? As Keighley himself told in an interview, Spencer had a false script in his hands continuously, reading it at breaks and in the moments before the event. This script had some kind of false announcement about Xbox Game Pass, so any curious person who might be tempted to take a look at it would be misled with misinformation.
Keighley, about the future of the event
In the same interview, Keighley also talks about the future of The Game Awards. He claims that although the popularity of the gala is growing exponentially in recent years, he does not imagine that it can be broadcast on any of the major television channels. "I don't think it's where our audience is," he acknowledges. "We want to make it mainstream, but we've also realized that the different streaming platforms are already mainstream."
Meanwhile, do not imagine changing the format, as it believes it is such an important event for developers as for video game consumers. "The awards are a very important part of the show, and I think it's as important for developers as for fans, so you have to balance it," says Keighley. "But what we have noticed through the feedback of these, is that they really want ads on the show. I think it will always be an interesting hybrid between an awards gala and a set of ads and first glimpses of new video games."
Source: Variety
