Just three weeks ago, Don Mattrick, Microsoft's now former head of its Interactive Entertainment Division, addressed a packed room at E3 for Microsoft's annual Xbox press conference. Mattrick kicked off Microsoft's event, where the company showed off 15 titles for the Xbox One, the next generation console due out in November.
Three weeks later, and Mattrick is headed to Zynga as its next CEO, to help the struggling social game publisher get back on track with new management.
While that's all well and good for Mattrick and Zynga, it leaves Microsoft in a lurch five months before the next console, and it's a question of whether this will set it back considerably.
Unplanned Departure
Mattrick's departure was leaked by AllThingsD Monday morning, and it shocked the whole web. Why leave a company right as your huge product was going to launch? Mattrick had spent six years with Microsoft; he joined in 2007 after serving as the president of Electronic Arts.
It was obvious that the departure was just as much of a shock to Microsoft internally. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent out a memo confirming the move, saying "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." The move to have all of Xbox department heads reporting to Ballmer is not exactly confidence inspiring, and with no clear executive waiting in the wings, Microsoft will have to focus on launching the Xbox One and searching for a new Xbox head all at once.
The Xbox team has some strong members, especially CVP of Marketing Yusef Mehdi, who has also been an important figure in the Xbox One press conferences. There is also Philip Spencer, who has been the general manger of Microsoft Studios since 2008, and has been the public face of Xbox several times recently. (You may remember him from his appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon two weeks ago.) It's hard to say if either is ready or qualified to lead the team, especially since they are great at their own specific focuses.
Ballmer may be CEO, but he isn't the logical choice to lead the Xbox team. For one, Microsoft certainly has its hands full with trying to make Windows Phone and Windows 8 successful. But there's also Ballmer himself, who often is more internet punchline, especially in the eyes of Xbox's core gamer demographic. He's not going to be the one Microsoft wants discussing the intricacies of the Xbox One's new technology, not when the company has already had so much trouble with messaging lately.
Was Mattrick Pushed Out?
Last week Microsoft was forced to completely backtrack on some of the most-touted policies of the Xbox One. The console was going to crack down on used games, limiting what players could do with their discs, and it was also going to require an always-on internet connection that had to authenticate every 24 hours. When Sony announced its upcoming PlayStation 4 wouldn't have those same requirements, it was a well-timed jab at Microsoft. While Yusef Mehdi did tellMashable that those statements were attacks coming from a company with a less-sophisticated product, it's clear Microsoft was cut deep enough to change its game plan only two weeks after E3.
It's not clear if Mattrick had to take the fall for either the decisions, or Microsoft's choice to retract them, but there are inklings. During this year's E3, he said during a televised interview that there was a console for those who didn't like the always-online policy: the aging Xbox 360. It was a clear call from Mattrick: get with the next-generation, or be stuck with the past. Maybe Mattrick's stance wasn't so popularly favored after Microsoft had to backtrack on its Xbox One policies, or could he not remain with a company that hung him out to dry?
And of course, Microsoft publicly let go of another staff member, former creative director Adam Orth, after he tweeted fans upset by always-online should "deal with it". While it turned out those tweets were meant for a friend of Orth's, it's clear that riling up fans didn't sit well inside Microsoft.
Another potential idea is that Mattrick got out before Ballmer’s rumored restructuring of Microsoft, though most are saying Mattrick wasn’t affected.
The Next Five Months
Whatever the case with Mattrick's departure, Microsoft is in the most critical period before the Xbox One launch, and vulnerable from Sony's attacks. The company showed a lot at E3, but must keep feeding potential buyers new information before the Xbox One's November launch to keep them interested, especially since Microsoft's console carries a $100-higher price tag.
What Microsoft's Xbox division needs is a charismatic head — something Mattrick ultimately wasn't — who can speak the language of fans, while understanding the needs of the developers — large and small — and publishers to bring on board to the new console. Who that is isn't clear yet.
Sony has its PlayStation 4 evangelist with Mark Cerny, the console's chief architect who has been making games for decades. It's almost as if Sony is looking at all the mistakes from the PlayStation 3 launch — along with what Microsoft did so right for the Xbox 360 — and building its playbook from there.
The Xbox 360 spoke to gamers with its eye-catching design, its great controller, and the best online network for a console. If the Xbox One has that same magic, Microsoft will need someone to head the team to let it shine for fans. There are plenty of Xbox fans — myself included — who want to see the launch go right, because there is real promise in what's already been shown. Let's just hope the internal politics of this restructuring don't stop Microsoft from reaching that goal.
Image via Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
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