The head of Xbox Phil Spencer said that shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders brought a “big flood of new people” to games. Specifically, Xbox saw a huge surge in the numbers of “new to Xbox customers.”
In an interview to Business Insider, the exec said it is a bittersweet victory for the company, and Microsoft is trying not to exploit the disastrous situation.
“We’re not putting in place any different business tactics or other things,” he added. “We’re just trying to keep all the services up, trying to keep the games enjoyable, keeping our networks safe and secure. And being there at a time of need.”
Last month, Microsoft reported “record numbers” of people using its online services including Xbox Live, Game Pass subscription service, and Mixer. There was also a 775 percent rise in demand for its cloud services in territories under lockdowns.