Vor einigen Stunden hatten die Spatzen
bereits das von den Dächern gepfiffen, was Zynga nun in Form einer Pressemitteilung bestätigt: Der Hersteller hat Don Mattrick zu seinem neuen Geschäftsführer auserkoren.
Der Kanadier wird seinen neuen Job schon am 8. Juli antreten. Mark Pincus, der Gründer und bisherige CEO Zyngas verbleibt als Chef des Aufsichtsrats und Chief Product Officer des Unternehmens.
""Don is unique in the game business,” said Mark Pincus, Founder, Chairman and Chief Product Officer. “He can execute in multiple domains – 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 in 41 countries. 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.”
“In its short history, Zynga has redefined entertainment and brought social gaming to the mainstream. More than 1 billion people across web and mobile have installed Zynga games, and franchises like FarmVille and Words With Friends have become a part of people’s daily lives,” said Mattrick. “I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark’s pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started. Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I’m proud to partner with Mark to deliver high-quality, fun, social games wherever people want to play.”"
Bevor Mattrick 2007 bei Microsoft als Nachfolger von Peter Moore anheuerte und vor drei Jahren schließlich zum Chef der Interactive-Entertainment-Business-Sparte (IEB) ernannt wurde, hatte er 15 Jahre lang bei Electronic Arts gearbeitet und war dort u.a. Präsident der Worldwide Studios gewesen.
Derzeit kein Ersatz angedacht
In einer Rundmail verabschiedet Steve Ballmer seinen bisherigen Kollegen und bedankt sich für dessen Einsatz in den vergangenen sechs Jahren. Interessant: Der Posten des IEB-Präsidenten wird vorerst unbesetzt bleiben. Die Führungsleute der Sparte, die bisher für Mattrick gearbeitet hatten, würden weiterhin ihren bisherigen Tätigkeiten nachgehen, seien nun aber direkt dem Microsoft-CEO unterstellt.
"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."
