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Ed Fries Leaves Microsoft's Game Unit
jnguy writes "According to Reuters, Ed Fries, Microsoft's game studio head, has resigned. The last major person to leave Microsoft in this fashion was Seamus Blackley. I wonder if this has any other meaning - I've seen Fries at many of Microsoft's parties and launch events, and consider him one of the biggest figures in Xbox history." CNN Money has further information on Fries' departure, noting that "he plans to remain in the gaming industry", and commenting that he was "actively involved in the development and launch of the Xbox gaming system and oversaw the acquisition of several major game developers, including Bungie Software... and Rare." They also have comments from Fries himself, as he muses on his future: "I'm looking for a situation where I have a lot of freedom around the development of our products and the way those products come to market. I've had some of that to date, but not as much as I would like."
Translation: "My stock options are vested, and I'm getting the hell out before they go down the toilet."
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
The only major "product" that they would be developing just now would be the early stages of XBox2. Also he is far more likely to leave close to the beginning of the process, not bailing when its far into development.... basically what I'm trying to say is that development problems big enough to make one of the head developers of the console quit at such an early stage do not bode well for the future of the console
Of course it could be something totally unrelated or development of something else...who knows
"Fries began his career at Microsoft in 1985 as a lowly intern in charge of online tutorials. Ten years later, he was put in charge of the Microsoft's games division, and brought an impressive group of developers--including Ensemble Studios' Bruce Shelley and Big Huge Games' Brian Reynolds. Fries was also at the helm during the Xbox launch in 2001, and was instrumental in Microsoft's acquisition of Halo-makers Bungie. "
Too bad you don't see many intern-to-ceo (mailroom-to-ceo, janitor, etc) stories like this anymore.
I think that with his close ties to Microsoft, Fries will continue to be affliated somehow to the xbox in his future endeavors.
I predict there'll be a lot of theories about how this is evidence that Microsoft is bad even though the simplest explanation is that it isn't his dream job.
"Derp de derp."
Just a WAG, but I would venture to say that this means that there very well may be problems at M$ with respects to the XBox and the XBox 2...
The XBox hasn't really been labeled a huge success yet...and for a major exec to leave at the end of the XBox's life will not look good on his resume...
This probably means that there are both problems with current XBox sales (this is pretty well know), current game development (companies like EA not developing for your console can have this effect), XBox 2 development (it's likely that they are making the same mistakes they made on the XBox)...
But, then again, maybe this means that the XBox is getting ready to make a comeback and shoot past Sony for overall dominance in the console market and Ed just wanted to give someone else the limelight <snicker>
End result: bad product, bad karma and a bunch of angry MS henchmen planning to kill them.
Mod Wisely.
Rumour has it that Rare had already imploded before the purchase. Hence the Stampers urge to cash in. But then that's just a rumour, which I'm sure the next killer title from Rare will dispell.
It's not a rumor, as far as I can see. Look at Rare's output the last few years; they haven't had a major title since Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64. Even Donkey Kong Country, on the SNES was a so so title (an average platformer that sold well) and the series was killed of by two derivative sequels and an even crappier 3D game on the N64. I've heard much of the Donkey Kong Country team had left before MS's acquistion.
If something wasn't wrong with Rare, why would Nintendo part with them? The Big N, despite the gloomy predictions here on slashdot, are not hurting for cash or anything.
"There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
Fries left this year.
Blackley and Fries were the 2 'game guys' out of the 4 of the main executive Xbox guys (Bach and Allard being the other 2). The other 2 are the 'technology and power!!!!' guys.
Notice this announcment, even though it was apparently months in the making, comes almost right after Gates unveied the Xbox Media Extender at the CES. I hardly doubt that MS put the Xbox Media Extender together right before the CES.
Perhaps the thought of the next Xbox being the UltimateTV-MSN TV-Media Extender Device-Xbox are true, then? Maybe Fries wanted it to be a game console only (or at least first), and Microsoft has decided that the next Xbox must become the center of the living room and the "Digital Lifestyle Experience" with as many MS products integrated in as possible?
Whatever the case truly is, expect more talk to be of hardware, specs, and sh33r p0w3r!!!! over anything else when talking about the Xbox, and it's future incarnation (if it has one given the $2.135 BILLION lost since its launch) now that Fries and Blackley are both gone.
I've heard much of the Donkey Kong Country team had left before MS's acquistion.
I hadn't heard about that, but most of the Goldeneye/Perfect Dark team left a few years ago and formed Free Radical, who made the TimeSplitters games.
Supposedly a decent number of people left when the company was sold to MS. There's also Zoonami, which consists of a lot of ex-Rare people. I'm not sure when those people left Rare.
Sorry but you'd be an idiot if you didn't see this coming.
Game programmers require that gaming culture. That is not to say the Microsoft development group didn't have any... but let's face it. MS is a corporate environment where one wall is developing spreadsheet software and another is programming games.
Look at the company in Japan making Gran Turismo 4. There was some insane article on the programmer's lifestyle in game informer magazines. Live, breathe, drive and program in style 24x7.
I guess the people at Microsoft just didn't want fries with their XBox...