Don Mattrick Leaves Microsoft To Become CEO At Zynga

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Don Mattrick Leaves Microsoft To Become CEO At Zynga

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Monday July 1, 2013 @10:54AM from the all-aboard-the-sinking-ship dept.

krkhan writes "It has been confirmed by Zynga that the head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, is taking over as the new CEO. Mattrick joined Microsoft in 2007 and has led the business during much of the lifespan of Xbox 360, as well as the launch of Kinect and pre-launch of Xbox One. Zynga shares jumped 12% following the news."

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All the xbox employees now report to Ballmer by Seumas · 2013-07-01 11:02 · Score: 5, Interesting

Ballmer issued a statement which included a comment that all Don's former employees now report to Ballmer through the holiday for the XBOX ONE.. Hm...
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/Jul13/07-01steveb-mail.aspx
1. Re:All the xbox employees now report to Ballmer by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-01 11:20 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  No hmm about it. It's a very good farewell message - no daggers.
  All it means is that they didn't have anyone to back-fill Don (which would indicate a resignation rather than being fired).
2. Re:All the xbox employees now report to Ballmer by Seumas · 2013-07-01 12:20 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  The question isn't about daggers, but about the efficacy of Ballmer picking up from here through to and after the launch. With Don's departure so swift, it strikes me a little like losing your head coach just before going to your championship game. It brings uncertainty and interrupts a certain flow and expectation at a crucial moment. I'm actually a bit shocked they wouldn't force him to stay til the end of the year (if for no other reason than to readily finger him for any failures in final numbers).
3. Re:All the xbox employees now report to Ballmer by hairyfeet · 2013-07-01 23:10 · Score: 2
  
  Well consider that Ballmer has been like a stuck record, all "appstores appstores appstores, social social social" I have no doubt that the Xbone will be all about pushing the appstore and social crap so most likely it'll suck like everything Ballmer has "personally" gotten involved in.Zune,Sidekick, Zune Market, WinPhone, his "leadership" seems to be "make it suck so I can pretend I can become the new Apple".
  So it honestly doesn't surprise me that Ballmer let him go and took over, it is pretty obvious that his ego overrides any common sense. I have been trying to think of another company to compare it to but I really can't, the closest i can come up with is how badly the Pepsi guy ran Apple, but even he saw there was problems and tried to correct them, Ballmer seems to be just going full retard ahead. I mean can anybody else think of a tech company where every single metric was shit and instead of trying to change course just gave the finger to their customers repeatedly? I sure as hell can't.
  
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XBone One by girlintraining · 2013-07-01 11:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

I think this guy saw the writing on the wall regarding the XBone One, and he got the hell out of dodge before the shit storm made landfall. Better to go to a place where you're wanted while you can still leave than be sucking on a "golden parachute" and have no job prospects.

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1. Re:XBone One by WankersRevenge · 2013-07-01 11:49 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Yes, there will be a shitstorm. Microsoft really screwed up this launch and I think that's why he's leaving. After the DRM reversal, his number was up.
  But I don't think for a moment that Microsoft is out of the console race. They're in it for the long game and as far as launches go, I still think the PS3 holds the title of the worst console launch.
  I imagine in 2015 after the inevitable price drop, no one will even remember all the Microsoft cockups, but it's going to be a lot of painful months before Microsoft gets there.
2. Re:XBone One by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-01 15:05 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  They're in it for the long game and as far as launches go, I still think the PS3 holds the title of the worst console launch.
  I doubt that.
  Sony's crime was mind-boggling arrogance, the belief that because they had so thouroughly dominated with the PS2 that they could do whatever the fuck they wanted and game developers and gamers would lap up their crap no matter how dumb it was. The central locus was the Cell processor, an exotic piece of hardware which is a bastard to program for and can't receive code that isn't specifically tuned for it without suffering nasty performance problems. Sony's thinking was that developers would write for PS3 first then do crap ports to other systems, or even not bother with ports since you effectively have to rewrite the whole damn graphics and sound stacks, thereby ensuring the PS3 had the best experience and everyone else would be second rate. We know how that ended, developers hated the Cell as anyone with a brain was predicting right out of the gate and the Xbox 360 enjoyed massive developer support, the PS3 wrecked Sony's dominating lead down to Microsoft's second fiddle.
  The Xbone is similar to what Sony did; Microsoft, having attained a dominating position, believes they can do no wrong and everyone will eat up their crap and thank them for the privilege of receiving a turd sandwich. Like Sony, this has backfired spectacularly. You may say this puts MS on the same level as Sony, but really MS is worse — because they didn't learn from Sony's very obvious and very public bout of hubris. It takes some incredible short term memory, or earth crushing hubris, to ignore what happened to your competitor and try the exact same shit in a different color and expect a different outcome.
Re:Being run by an ex-Microsoft manager... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2013-07-01 11:14 · Score: 4, Funny

... worked so well for Nokia ... Not!
On the plus side, this is Zynga we are talking about. In a pleasant inversion of AvP, "Whoever Loses, We Win."
An Odd One by sexconker · 2013-07-01 11:18 · Score: 2

Usually the rats are just stowaways who flee if the ship sinks, but Rattrick was the one who sunk the XBONE ship and now he's fleeing to another sinking ship.
Oh well, good riddance. Hope he fails at Zynga, too.
Re:Greetings Slashdort, now PAY ATTENTION! by sexconker · 2013-07-01 11:20 · Score: 2, Funny

This is your LORD GOD speaking! Enjoy the fresh taste of Pepsi-Cola with none of the calories: Diet Pepsi! Remember, God loves you, so BURN IN HELL FOR ETERNITY and enjoy Pepsi Cola today!
My question for you, Slashdort, is will there be a .pepsi domain, and will there be a .god domain? I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD AND YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME, Slashdort! Remember that and DIE! And DRINK PEPSI!
God drinks Coke while wearing the American flag and playing the electric guitar for baby Jesus, you heathen!
Did Zinga look at Nokia? by kawabago · 2013-07-01 11:26 · Score: 2

After what that Microtwit did to Nokia, isn't Zinga afraid they'll meet the same fate?
Holy crap... by hine_uk · 2013-07-01 11:31 · Score: 5, Interesting

...when a sinking ship like Zynga looks good to a rat like Mattrick you know Microsoft are in trouble.
1. Re:Holy crap... by am+2k · 2013-07-01 12:56 · Score: 3
  
  I'm not so sure. He used to be a (higher-up) middle manager, now he's the CEO. If an already crumbling ship sinks, nobody will blame him, and the next job he'll be given will be a CEO position.
  Remember, CEOs aren't rated by the performance of their company under their leadership, but only by the check they raked in every month.
2. Re:Holy crap... by drawfour · 2013-07-01 14:02 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  He was the President of the IEB division. That's not a middle manager of any kind - he reported straight to Ballmer.
3. Re:Holy crap... by Xest · 2013-07-01 20:01 · Score: 2
  
  Or you know that Mattrick was desperate because he'd been given his notice period after the colossal XBox One DRM screwup which he was defiant in defending and the subsequent reversal.
  I know which I'm placing my bets on.
Zynga shares jumped 12%? by ebonum · 2013-07-01 11:37 · Score: 2

Does no one remember Nokia?
Their new strategy will be to strike a deal with M$ and then develop solely for the Windows Phone because everything else is a waste of time.
Re:Time to really dump Zynga shares by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-01 11:44 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah that guy is very unlucky!

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Re:Being run by an ex-Microsoft manager... by lister+king+of+smeg · 2013-07-01 13:06 · Score: 2

not for Nokia but that tactic has worked well for Microsoft. Is there something at Zynga Microsoft really needs so much that they orchestrate a planting to get it?
stupid browser games that will soon be metro apps?

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Re:Being run by an ex-Microsoft manager... by budgenator · 2013-07-01 13:56 · Score: 2

Maybe he'll actually be able to raise the standards of ethics and customer relations at Zynga. After all, starting so much closer to their level than the average executive will make it easier for the business culture there to relate to him.
I'd settle for just finding that lost pony's home.

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Re:Time to really dump Zynga shares by Colonel+Korn · 2013-07-01 14:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

This guy went from EA to MS to now Zynga. Notice a trend?
EA: Hemorrhaging money, dominant market share, in decline
MS: Record profits, dominant market share, in decline
Zynga: Hemorrhaging money, large share of market with no customer loyalty, in decline
I'm going to go with "in decline"

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Re:From pits of sewage by uniquename72 · 2013-07-01 15:11 · Score: 3, Insightful

Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. Neither Microsoft or Zynga has any near-term strategy or long-term future.

Yes, MS will continue to stay afloat a lot longer thanks to legacy contracts and ingrained habits. But in 15 years, they'll be lucky to be another Yahoo (who will be long dead, along with Zynga).
I hope he is renumerated in Zynga points by DrXym · 2013-07-01 20:35 · Score: 2

Good for one packet of Alpine strawberry seeds, golden plough, or Hawaiian shirt.
I bet... by jones_supa · 2013-07-01 20:46 · Score: 2

Let me guess that most of Slashdotters didn't even know that there was a person called Don Mattrick at Microsoft and thought that all the games division big decisions were once again made by Steve Ballmer only.