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[analog_future]

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/26/23933049/microsoft-reorg-xbox-marketing-ai-leadership-changes

Sarah Bond will now take over the hardware and software platforms of Xbox. “To manage the platform of today, and build the platform of tomorrow, we are bringing together the teams that will make this possible,” explains Spencer. “Sarah Bond will lead this team as President of Xbox — bringing together Devices, Player & Creator Experiences, Platform Engineering, Strategy, Business Planning, Data & Analytics and Business Development.”

...Booty will now lead an expanded organization inside Microsoft Gaming that includes ZeniMax and Bethesda. “ZeniMax will continue to operate as a limited integration entity led by Jamie Leder, President and CEO, reporting to Matt,” explains Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in an internal memo obtained by The Verge.

Booty’s expanded role should help Microsoft Gaming avoid scenarios like Redfall in the future, with Microsoft clearly focusing on better collaboration between the teams it acquired with the ZeniMax / Bethesda acquisition.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

For a moment there I thought Phil Spencer was stepping down and being replaced by Sarah. Aren't President and CEO generally the same things?

 

[Gaiff]

Matt Booty must be giving his booty to Phil to get promoted. No way should a man this incompetent be given a bigger role.

 

[adamsapple]

For a moment there I thought Phil Spencer was stepping down and being replaced by Sarah. Aren't President and CEO generally the same things?

According to uncle google

While the CEO manages the overall direction of the company, the president focuses on the day-to-day operations. In companies with both a CEO and a president, the president reports to the CEO and is typically second in command.

 

[analog_future]

For a moment there I thought Phil Spencer was stepping down and being replaced by Sarah. Aren't President and CEO generally the same things?

President of Xbox and CEO of Microsoft Gaming are two distinct roles. Sarah's appears to be more specific to the Xbox hardware/software platform & day-to-day responsibilities, whereas Phil oversees everything pertaining to Microsoft gaming, whether it be PC, mobile, cloud, or Xbox.

 

[Deerock71]

Looking forward to the Booty memes.

 

[GHG]

Bobby gets a place on the org chart?

Watch them come up with an excuse to extend his contract indefinitely.

 

[analog_future]

Bobby gets a place on the org chart?

Watch them come up with an excuse to extend his contract indefinitely.

Yes, despite both Bobby and MS already confirming he has until the end of 2023.


You're really grasping a straws here.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

So I'm assuming Jerret West is ColtEastwoods real name?

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[graywolf323]

Booty’s expanded role should help Microsoft Gaming avoid scenarios like Redfall in the future, with Microsoft clearly focusing on better collaboration between the teams it acquired with the ZeniMax / Bethesda acquisition.

lol what complete and utter BS

 

[analog_future]

lol what complete and utter BS

So wait, more oversight from MS is bad now? I thought that's what ya'll wanted?

 

[legacy24]

get rid of booty ffs

 

[AJUMP23]

Phil on top of Booty to help Bond.

 

[Zones]

Very diverse. They even got a Booty right there.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

get rid of booty ffs

I think you misspelled Phil

 

[graywolf323]

So wait, more oversight from MS is bad now? I thought that's what ya'll wanted?

Redfall wasn’t an anomaly, Booty has been terrible at managing their studios for years & giving him even more to watch over isn’t going to suddenly be a miraculous cure

 

[Dick Jones]

No change to Bobby's role

 

[AnotherOne]

get rid of booty ffs

Everyone likes booty though

 

[intbal]

I want Ed Fries back in charge.

 

[nowhat]

Looking forward to the Booty memes.

Not a meme, but this starts to play in my head every time I read his name:

 

[analog_future]

Everyone likes booty though

]

 

[SEGAvangelist]

lol what complete and utter BS

They definitely made Pete Hines the fall guy. No clue for sure who is most responsible for Redfall (it's ultimately Phil Spencer), but we can clearly see they are pinning it on Pete Hines now.

 

[Dick Jones]

Wait... Aaron Greenberg isn't head of communications. I apologise Aaron for shittalking you all these many years.

 

[Withnail]

So Kotick stays? I thought people were saying he would retire.

Activision Blizzard is under Phil but not part of the Xbox first party dev org. Clear indication that those games are staying multi-platform IMO.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Inventing job titles they already had.

Everybody is president now

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

No change to Bobby's role

We knew that. He's leaving at the end of this year only.

 

[R3TRO]

Good for Sarah.

 

[GHG]

Yes, despite both Bobby and MS already confirming he has until the end of 2023.


You're really grasping a straws here.

It's not "grasping" when it would actually be the best solution for the organisation.

A couple of months to hand-over an organisation as large as Activision-Blizzard is nothing. They will still require his knowledge beyond the period defined.

Look at that chart and tell me what you think happens to Activision Blizzard in the event that he goes. It gets given to Matt Booty on top of Zenimax and all the other studios he already has to oversee? I'm not seeing it.

 

[Gudji]

The Manchester United of gaming.

 

[Banjo64]

Out of the frying pan, in to the fire. Xbox have no idea, it’s just idiots at the wheel.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Wait... Aaron Greenberg isn't head of communications. I apologise Aaron for shittalking you all these many years.

Aaron Greenberg is Head of Being Awesome.

 

[Tsaki]

lol what complete and utter BS

Tom Warren has to put food on the table you know

 

[adamsapple]

Out of the frying pan, in to the fire. Xbox have no idea, it’s just idiots at the wheel.

Refill on cum smoothie for Mr. Banjo.

 

[GHG]

The Manchester United of gaming.

Not a bad analogy. They've spent the same as Man City since Fergie (Moore) left and they have never hit the same heights despite that.

 

[StueyDuck]

Weren't these people all doing basically the same things they got promoted to already anyway.

There is no interesting or new dynamic shift here, this is basically who cares type of news

 

[ByWatterson]

For a moment there I thought Phil Spencer was stepping down and being replaced by Sarah. Aren't President and CEO generally the same things?

They're often combined in one person.

I think Phil will be out within a year. He's not exactly young anymore and has been in this role for a decade.

 

[Three]

Yes, despite both Bobby and MS already confirming he has until the end of 2023.


You're really grasping a straws here.

Bobby and MS confirmed he's staying at least until the end of the year. Nobody said he's leaving after that date.

 

[Topher]

Wonder if this is why Pete Hines left. Looks to me like Bethesda has been knocked down a peg or two. No longer a separate pillar alongside Xbox Game Studios.

 

[H-I-M]

Why hasn't Phil been fired yet ?

 

[Shut0wen]

Redfall wasn’t an anomaly, Booty has been terrible at managing their studios for years & giving him even more to watch over isn’t going to suddenly be a miraculous cure

Tbf redfall was doomed on arrival, by the time MS brought redfall it was to late, even if redfall wasnt a buggy mess the game is still terrible, cant really blame matt for that, though i would blame him for halo, especially allowing 343 to make there own engine which they struggle to programme on

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

I’m here asking the important questions...

Where’s lulu?

 

[a multicultural team of v]

how is the kerning on that text so absolutely fucked

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I have no thoughts on Sarah Bond but Matt Booty getting anything other than fired is a travesty…so of course his worthless ass gets promoted.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

Redfall wasn’t an anomaly, Booty has been terrible at managing their studios for years & giving him even more to watch over isn’t going to suddenly be a miraculous cure

Redfall was conceived years before the Microsoft acquisition and was going to be a GAAS game. Once Microsoft took over, they allowed the team to finish the game with the caveat that they remove the GAAS components and make it a more story and co-op focused experience. The only thing Microsoft could have done to make the situation better was tell the team to cancel the game altogether and start on a new project, but that would mean no new content from Arkane for many years.

 

[Shut0wen]

So Kotick stays? I thought people were saying he would retire.

Activision Blizzard is under Phil but not part of the Xbox first party dev org. Clear indication that those games are staying multi-platform IMO.

Kotick hinted hed leave early 2024

 

[LordCBH]

Matt Booty continuing to have a job blows my mind.

 

[Withnail]

Greenberg was head of marketing for Xbox. Looks like he either got demoted or overlooked for the equivalent Microsoft Gaming role. Good.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

I’m here asking the important questions...

Where’s lulu?

This is correct.

 

[GHG]

Wonder if this is why Pete Hines left. Looks to me like Bethesda has been knocked down a peg or two. No longer a separate pillar alongside Xbox Game Studios.

Yeh because of that his role becomes redundant from an organisational standpoint.

I’m here asking the important questions...

Where’s lulu?

Inside Bobby.