'Faking Would Be a Terrible Idea and Wouldn't Work' — New Microsoft Gaming Boss Asha Sharma Says Don't Read Too Much Into Her Xbox Play History

Microsoft's caller gaming brag Asha Sharma has responded to further scrutiny of her Xbox play history, and explained that her relationship had been shared among others astatine home.

Responding connected societal media to IGN's ain Ryan McCaffrey, Sharma said she had not been "faking" her play past truthful it looked similar she had much gaming experience. Instead, her relationship had antecedently been shared with others astatine location — thing that is nary longer the case, with her gamertag present acceptable up for usage by her only.

"Faking would beryllium a unspeakable thought and wouldn't work," Sharma wrote, going connected to reiterate that she would ne'er "pretend to beryllium the champion gamer" anyway, arsenic it's not her goal.

Microsoft's caller gaming brag Asha Sharma. Image credit: Microsoft.

"I agree," Sharma wrote, successful effect to the proposition that trying to bluff gamer cognition would beryllium a atrocious move. "Faking would beryllium a unspeakable thought and wouldn't work. I besides didn't expect my gamertag to blowup and the world is much boring.

"I created it precocious to larn and recognize this world," Sharma continued. "I've played with my family, and it's a shared location relationship crossed devices (which you tin spot successful the scope of games/achievements). Fixed that this play and everyone is lone playing connected their ain GTs.

"But I get wherever this is coming from," she added. "I don't unreal to beryllium the champion gamer and adjacent though I'm playing, that's inactive not my goal. My absorption is to marque Xbox the champion spot to play, instrumentality to our roots, vessel large things, and go stronger for the future."

Sharma shared her Xbox gamertag — AMRAHSAHSA — publically via societal media implicit the weekend. Fittiingly, her archetypal accomplishment unlock appears to person been 'Your Journey Begins' from Halo: The Master Chief Collection connected January 15 of this year. Since then, the relationship has been utilized to play 30 titles — and unlock astir each of the achievements successful brick-breaking roguelite BALL x PIT.

Early effect to Sharma's assignment was mixed, with questions astir her deficiency of gaming manufacture acquisition coupled with the information she has astir precocious worked connected Microsoft's AI efforts. But Sharma had an amusing effect to 1 instrumentality erstwhile they suggested she was besides present utilizing AI to trade her societal media posts: "Beep Boop Beep Boop."

"And yes, I’m penning my ain posts :)" Sharma wrote connected societal media past night.

Still, scepticism of Sharma's existent occupation intent remains — peculiarly from Xbox co-founder Seamus Blackley, who said her assignment was softly a motion the gaming marque would beryllium "sunsetted." In an interrogation with GamesBeat, the erstwhile Microsoft seasoned said helium expected Sharma's relation was "going to beryllium arsenic a palliative attraction doc who slides Xbox mildly into the night."

IGN has overmuch much connected Sharma's accomplishment and the departure of Phil Spencer including the galore farewells to him from seasoned developers, Spencer's idiosyncratic words to the Xbox assemblage pursuing his departure, details of erstwhile Xbox president Sarah Bond's daze resignation and Sharma's ain responses to archetypal concerns astir her caller AI enactment and deficiency of gaming manufacture occupation experience.

Image credit: Microsoft.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social