News Summary

• "Xbox is not for sale," CEO Asha Sharma told The New York Times.
• The answer, which the interviewer called a “bob and weave,” comes as many analysts are predicting an eventual divestiture of Xbox.
• The gaming division has always been an awkward fit for Microsoft, whose other businesses, including cloud computing and AI, still dwarf it despite the massive $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023.
• But while killing or selling smaller studios, and shifting others under internal publishing arms like Activision and Bethesda, might seem like the prelude to a potential spin-off, Microsoft’s recent bets can also be viewed as longer-term investments.