Some corporate drama unfolded recently when Xbox head Phil Spencer criticized Sony’s strategy for exclusive content deals, particularly calling out their past agreements with Call of Duty as “slimy platform things.” This remark has stirred reactions across the industry, including a notably understated yet expressive response from former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden.
Layden, known for his key role in shaping PlayStation’s content strategy during his tenure, chose gifs over words on social media platform X to express his sentiments. He also interacted with several tweets that either criticized Spencer’s comments or supported Layden’s gif-laden replies.
Spencer’s critique was part of a broader discussion on platform exclusivity, highlighting a decade-long series of content arrangements between PlayStation and Call of Duty. However, his comments have raised eyebrows given Xbox’s own history with exclusivity.
Notable instances under Spencer’s leadership include the temporary exclusivity of “Rise of the Tomb Raider” and the acquisition of ZeniMax, which shifted anticipated titles like “Starfield” and “Redfall” away from potential releases on PlayStation.
This isn’t the first time Xbox executives have made waves with their remarks about competition with Sony. Matt Booty, another high-ranking Xbox official, was previously quoted discussing strategies to potentially spend Sony “out of business.”
