The Man in Charge of Xbox Is Leaving Microsoft

[GamerMan316]

Report: The Man in Charge of Xbox Is Leaving Microsoft

Don Mattrick, who's been the public face for all things Xbox for the last few years, will be leaving Microsoft to take a top leadership role at Zynga, reports All Things D.

Most recently, Mattrick's been visible as the person who introduced the Xbox One, Microsoft's next-gen successor to the best selling Xbox 360. But the Redmond tech giant's been dogged by wave after wave of negative sentiment as the initial details about how the console would require a daily internet connection and handle used games. The backlash culminated in a shocking reversal where Microsoft removed these policies and features.

Mattrick joined Microsoft in 2007. Previously he'd been the head of worldwide studios at EA, where he'd worked in various roles for a quarter century. Mattrick was also a game designer, having co-created the racing series Test Drive when he was a teenager.

Under his tenure, the Xbox 360 battled for console supremacy with Nintendo's Wii and eventually emerged as a home entertainment hub where users could watch Netflix and dozens of other streaming video services in addition to playing games. The Mattrick era also saw the introduction of the ground-breaking Kinect camera, which launched with record-setting numbers but then became the reason for some of the most broken and frustrating games on the 360.

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If this is confirmed as fact, MS has taken some drastic steps in the past few weeks. Not sure if it's for the better or not, but they're trying to make things more interesting, for sure.


UPDATE X2
Microsoft's Side of the Announcement

From: Steve Ballmer
Sent: Monday, July 1, 2013
To: Microsoft â€" All Employees
Subject: Don Mattrick’s Next Chapter

Zynga announced today that Don Mattrick would be its new CEO, effective July 8. This is a great opportunity for Don, and I wish him success. Don’s directs will report to me and will continue to drive the day-to-day business as a team, particularly focused on shipping Xbox One this holiday.

Since joining IEB more than six years ago, Don and his team have accomplished much. Xbox Live members grew from 6 million to 48 million. Xbox 360 became the No. 1 selling console in North America the past two years. We introduced Kinect and have sold more than 24 million sensors. We released fantastic games, and, most importantly, we expanded Xbox to go beyond great gaming to deliver all the entertainment people want â€" sports, music, movies, live television and much more.

In the past month, the IEB team showed for the first time here on our Redmond campus, and again at E3, how we are going to continue to transform entertainment with Xbox One. I am incredibly proud of the work and vision culminating in Xbox One.

I’m particularly excited about how Xbox pushes forward our devices and services transformation by bringing together the best of Microsoft. The consoles are incredible all-in-one devices with built-in services that consumers love, including Bing, Xbox Live, Internet Explorer, SkyDrive and Skype. And, just as important, Xbox Games, Xbox Video, Xbox Music and SmartGlass light up Windows PCs, tablets and phones.

Thank you, Don, for setting us on a path to completely redefine the entertainment industry. The strong leadership team at IEB and their teams are well positioned to deliver the next-generation entertainment console, as well as transformative entertainment experiences, long into the future.

Steve

Source:[Kotaku]

UPDATE:
Don Mattrick Announced As Zynga CEO

To our Zynga employees, players and shareholders,

Today is a big day. I’m excited to announce that Don Mattrick will be joining us as Zynga’s new CEO and member of our Board. I wanted to let you all know why I made the decision to recruit Don and what I think it means for all of us.

Over the last few months I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about all that we have achieved together as a company. We have pioneered social gaming and helped make Play a core part of millions of people’s lives. But Zynga has so much more potential ahead, the opportunity to be an Internet Treasure and deliver on our mission of connecting the world through games.

As I reflect on the past six years, I realize that I’ve had the greatest impact working as an entrepreneur with product teams, developing games that could entertain and connect millions.

I’ve always said to Bing and our Board that if I could find someone who could do a better job as our CEO I’d do all I could to recruit and bring that person in. I’m confident that Don is that leader.

If you’re not familiar with Don, he’s an entertainment and game industry innovator who’s been making products and scaling teams and businesses for the last 30 years. Don’s had major leadership roles at Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Distinctive Software, which he founded when he was 17 years old.

Don is unique in the game business. He can execute in multiple domains â€" hardware, software and network, and he’s been the person responsible for game franchises like “Need for Speed,” “FIFA” and “The Sims.” He’s one of the top executives in the overall entertainment business and he’s a great coach who has inspired people to do their best work and build strong, productive teams.

He deeply understands the value of a network and the importance of creating lifelong consumer relationships. He turned Xbox into the world’s largest console gaming network, growing its installed base from 10 to 80 million and transformed that business from deep losses to substantial profits. And he has grown the Xbox Live player network from 6 to 50 million active members.

Going forward I’ll continue in my role as Chairman and Chief Product Officer. I’m excited to partner with Don and the rest of our team to return Zynga to its leadership role in inventing and growing Play as a core human experience.

Don officially starts next week; however he’ll be joining me tomorrow to host an All-Hands meeting so you can all have an opportunity to meet him and ask any questions. Please feel free as always to post your questions and vote up questions on our Zyntranet here.

Thanks and see you tomorrow.

Mark

Source:[Kotaku]

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[Polygon] has an interesting break-down of what went down with the Mattrick Situation:

News this week that Xbox One head Don Mattrick is leaving Microsoft to co-run beleaguered free-to-play former powerhouse Zynga sent shock waves through the game industry.

The reaction wasn't just triggered by surprise, but by the impact Mattrick's sudden move had on not one company, but three.

Mattrick's departure left open a key seat in the chain of command at Microsoft on the eve of one of the company's most important hardware launches to date. Mattrick's arrival at Zynga also reinvigorated hope at a company many had written off. Finally, the hiring torpedoed any chance that Mattrick would return to Electronic Arts, where it was rumored that he was in the running to lead the company.

Three things to know about the companies impacted by Mattrick's move:

Electronic Arts


The setup: Punctuating a year-long corporate tailspin, EA chief executive officer John Riccitiello announced in March that he would be stepping down. "This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability," he said at the time. Larry Probst assumed day-to-day leadership at the company as he sought to find a replacement.

The Mattrick: Privately, rumors circulated that Don Mattrick, who served as president of the company's worldwide studios under Probst, was the top choice, with the company actively wooing him. The number two choice, sources tell us, is a relative unknown, industry outsider.

What's next: Next to Activision, Zynga is Electronic Arts' most bitter rival. Any chance of Mattrick making a direct leap from one to the other, even in a distant future, is unlikely. EA is certainly reconsidering its internal candidates, which include Peter Moore and Frank Gibeau, as well as its number two choice. With the company's first quarter wrapping up this month, time is running short.


Microsoft


The setup: In an open letter to shareholders last October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer explained his plans to turn Microsoft into a devices and services company. That plan includes overhauling the company's management teams for all eight divisions, including the Interactive Entertainment Business, which includes Xbox.

The Mattrick: Following a stumble out of the gate during a Don Mattrick-led Xbox One reveal â€" which left many gamers angry and some of the public confused â€" Microsoft's E3 showing was broadsided by Sony's pitch-perfect PlayStation press conference. Mattrick's blithe comments defending the console's always online requirements, lack of backwards compatibility and pricing, quickly evaporated in the face of the company's stunning policy reversal, delivered in an open letter from Mattrick to gamers. Less than two weeks later, Zynga announced Mattrick's departure from Microsoft. But despite the provocative timing, Mattrick's decision to jump ship was likely made prior to the Xbox One missteps.

What's next: In the short term, the group of people who ran things for Mattrick will now report directly to Ballmer. That includes head of third-party publishing George Peckham, division CFO Mitch Koch, chief of staff Aaron Greenberg, supply chain head Brian Tobey, Microsoft Studios lead Phil Spencer, Xbox Live's Marc Whitten, hardware lead Todd Holmdahl and the division's head of marketing and strategy, Yusuf Mehdi. With Ballmer's reorganization plans already in the works, a permanent replacement is likely to be named soon. Sources tell us that the replacement could come from another division within Microsoft, which fits in nicely with the buzz surrounding Ballmer's long-term goals. Spencer, a popular internal candidate, is another possible choice.



Zynga


The setup: Down but not out, not quite yet at least, the once formidable Facebook gaming powerhouse has been swamped with plummeting revenue, company-wide studio closures and consolidations and a general lack of investor faith. In April, founder Mark Pincus dropped his salary to $1 and exempted himself from bonuses or equity awards. In June, the company announced plans to lay off more than 500 employees as it struggled to stay afloat.

The Mattrick: On July 1, Pincus, who owns a hair more than 50 percent of Zynga's voting stock, announced that Mattrick would succeed him as CEO. Pincus, in turn, will stick around as chairman, chief product officer, and most importantly, the person with the biggest block of voting stock.

What's next: Mattrick joins fellow EA alum William "Bing" Gordon, who serves on Zynga's board of directors, in his bid to reinvigorate the failing company. With his tenure at the company yet to begin, Mattrick's move already bumped the stock up more than six percent, but it remains to be seen just how much control Pincus is willing to hand off to his new CEO.