Microsoft launches Xbox XP to bring popular gaming franchises into movies and television along with merchandise and live attractions. Kayleen Walters will lead the new division as Xbox expands its entertainment business.
Microsoft has introduced a new business unit named Xbox XP designed to bring its gaming franchises into film and television as well as other media formats. The division will focus on four main areas: Xbox Pictures, Xbox Products, Xbox Places and Xbox Partnerships. Kayleen Walters will lead the new Xbox XP unit bringing experience from her time at Mojang and Lucasfilm.
Walters previously worked as an executive producer on A Minecraft Movie which generated more than $950 million worldwide. She also held a vice president role at Lucasfilm where she spent 13 years and rose to vice president of franchise marketing and integrated planning.
Maria Angelidou-Smith has been named as the new CEO of Mojang and Minecraft taking over from Walters according to purexbox.com. Angelidou-Smith comes from Reddit where she was chief product officer according to a report from gamesindustry.biz. She also spent nearly a decade at Meta before joining Reddit.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described Angelidou-Smith as someone who understands how product and technology work together with monetization.
Mojang already has a strong team that deeply knows the Minecraft brand and its players. The company is also working on expanding Minecraft into physical spaces such as a new destination at Chessington World of Adventures. This destination is set to open in the UK in 2027 at Chessington bringing Minecraft’s world to life beyond digital platforms.
Walters noted that the goal is to expand Minecraft beyond the game and into real-world experiences.
Xbox XP will also help coordinate other media projects including the Fallout TV series. The show has increased interest in the Fallout franchise and helped boost sales of older titles. Another project connected to Xbox’s entertainment expansion is a Gears of War movie that will tell the origin story of Delta Squad and is currently in development at Netflix.
Xbox’s new structure follows a reset in Microsoft’s gaming division which included job cuts and studio divestitures. The company announced plans in July to cut around 3,200 positions as part of this reset. Industry experts have questioned whether the reset has a clear direction yet.
The introduction of Xbox XP is one of several moves aimed at repositioning Microsoft’s gaming efforts. It signals a growing interest in using video game properties across multiple entertainment mediums. The success of A Minecraft Movie and plans for an upcoming sequel show that this kind of expansion can be profitable.
A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is scheduled for release on July 23 2027. Xbox XP aims to build on these achievements and bring more of its characters and worlds into new forms of storytelling.
This expansion may help the company reach audiences who are not traditional gamers. The move reflects a broader trend among entertainment companies to stretch their brands across multiple platforms. It also shows how Microsoft is trying to make its gaming franchises more versatile and profitable.
With the new leadership in place Xbox XP will now be responsible for shaping these transmedia experiences.
IMAGE: Source Source Author Microsoft Corporation