Xbox One Holy, Don Mattrick Leaving Microsoft?

[AvalonX]

Microsoft's Entertainment Head Don Mattrick Leaving for Top Zynga Job

Exclusive: Microsoft’s Entertainment Head Don Mattrick Leaving to Take Top Role — Possibly CEO — at Zynga— Possibly CEO — at Zynga

Don Mattrick, the president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business — which centers on the Xbox and all the software giant’s gaming and entertainment efforts — is leaving the company, said multiple sources close to the situation.

These sources added that the high-profile executive is also close to taking a top job at Zynga, the troubled online social gaming company, possibly as its CEO and working in close partnership with its founder and current CEO Mark Pincus.

Sources said the announcement of Mattrick’s appointment could be made as soon as today, after the markets close.

If it happens, the hire would be a massive one for Zynga, which has been hit by a series of problems since its IPO. Pincus has been struggling to move the company into mobile quickly, as its once strong Web and Facebook business has waned. That has included a major layoff recently, as well as closures of a number of offices outside of its San Francisco HQ.

Via: All Things D

 

[ozadin]

Don Mattrick Leaving to Zygna.

Don Mattrick, the head of Microsoft is leaving the company to take a job at Zygna. It's not released which position he is taking, but rumors are saying CEO. While this was probably a hard decision to choose, I think he shouldn't have gone for it since the Xbox One is almost released. I'm guessing he's taking the job because he wants to help out Zygna, they're a company that's already crumbling very fast. Hopefully, it's the right decision for him.

Microsoft's Entertainment Head Don Mattrick Leaving for Top Zynga Job - Kara Swisher - Commerce - AllThingsD

 

[Clark Bruce]

Pretty big deal if true. I have to wonder what me must have been offered from Zygna in order to leave at such a crucial time. I also wonder what type of effect this will have on Microsoft, especially with all the bad PR they've been dealing with the past few weeks. I guess we will have to play the waiting game and see what actually happens and even if this actually true or not. I think Microsoft does him for now and he should at least wait until the Xbox One is released.

 

[Svoboda1]

The timing of this seems a little too curious for me.

I think he was likely let go from Microsoft and this was one way to save face. The launching of his biggest project in company history was a disaster and I'm going to guess Steve Ballmer wanted someone to fall on the sword for that. If you follow Microsoft on Twitter, Mattrick deleted his Twitter account awhile back and I think there were some rumors he may be on the way out there. Further, why would anyone want to jump to Zynga, which has been on a downward spiral for a long while. I just don't see how you leave the Microsoft and Xbox brands for Zynga.

 

[Funky Jammer]

Honestly, mot of us aren't going to be taken back or hurt by this. Most gamers game for the purpose. Its almost the same like political ignorance in America.

 

[Claptrap]

I find this extremely odd. Zynga is a struggling company, so why the HELL would he join Zynga right now? Is he a masochist or something?

Edit: I understand he must have been laid off or something (basically what Svoboda1 suggests; sounds like it was most likely what happened). What I find odd is him joining Zynga. Not him "quitting".

 

[sc_shark]

microsoft may have money on the tablee but im sure zanga has money even f its struggling.. im sure he is aware of the trending numbers of online/handheld gaming thee days and sees it as a good market.

with games like tank being adopted to xbox and such im sure their will be a push to develope games further than push to play and get them marketed towards core gamers.

 

[Khronic]

Why Zynga? It's going down the tank in a matter of months. They've already laid almost all of their employees off and their skeleton crew just won't keep that $3 stock afloat. Funny how they asked for $10 as their starting stock. The microtransition social game market has become diluted with competition. Mattrick has his work cut out for him if that's why he took the spot.

 

[sc_shark]

he already knows how windows8 is used and what is in the plans for it.... zenga will have an edge on development and intigration over many other companies.

 

[LALucien]

It is a really big and in my opinion, risky move for Mattrick. I know that app development for mobile devices is booming right now and it has given smaller development companies like Zynga the chance to rise up and seemingly dominate however, I think that leaving MS to move to a small dev such as Zynga could be a bad move. Mainly because, MS are on to this app based technology in a way that smaller companies don't understand.

With the release of Windows 8 and the Chrome book platforms, the big boys are moving their entire OS's to app based systems. In the case of MS I reckon that their app game is going to rocket in the very near future and they are going to start dominating again with the quality, not just the quantity of the apps they start rolling out.

I think its only a matter of chime before the likes of Zynga fall off the radar (no disrespect to them they do a good job) and Mattrick regrets leaving MS.