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Zynga: Mark Pincus returns as CEO, replaces Don Mattrick

meanspartan

Member
Like most other people here I have no love lost for Mattrick, but Zynga is by most accounts a horrible and uncreative company to work for that just happened to have a couple major Facebook hits early on.

Don Mattrick probably didn't screw anything up a la Xbox One launch, he just didn't manage to save the Titanic after it had already hit the iceberg when he got there.
 
Q

Queen of Hunting

Unconfirmed Member
Microsoft's big mistake was that the successful launch of Kinect and subsequent software sales weren't because gamers and families loved the Kinect experience. It sold because the Xbox 360 was a success, not because Kinect was what gamers wanted. The dismal failure of Kinect on the Xbox One proved that. Instead of pushing Xbox One sales, Kinect hobbled the success of Microsoft's new console.

oh yea no doubt, kinect was clearly used to wing a few more years out of the 360 till the xbone was ready thats obvious. i think it was also quite clear that bundling it with the xbone was a bad idea but don didnt see that.

but still it did what it needed to do. and like i said mark didnt exactly put zynga in line for mobile that was don.
 

NotLiquid

Member
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Man you guys are quick to blame Mattrick. The guy didn't exactly inherit a gold star business model, I thought we all knew that? Social gaming is probably the most volatile and fickle parts of this industry. I am not gonna completely exonerate him of blame for Zyngas current status, but it sure as hell isn't entirely his fault.

And whoever is blaming him for "destroying" the Xbox brand... Really? His team pushed a platform that the internet raised the biggest hissy fit over I've seen in a while. I don't know how you can blame a man for taking a risk and wanting to move this industry forward, that's business.
 

ItsTheNew

I believe any game made before 1997 is "essentially cave man art."
My friend got canned by Mattrick's "right sizing" and awful company directions. I heard ol' Donny is an utter ass...so good riddance!
 

Vexidus

Member
You would think he'd have a hard time getting work at this point. I mean, surely a company would look at his previous doings and think twice.

Also, if I had that kind of money I feel like I would just buy a modest house and not work at a real job again, while earning serious cash on investments and interest. Although people say that the more you make, the more you spend. His wife is rich too though, I believe.
 

Circinus

Member
C'mon, the guy is directly responsible for how the Xbox 360 floundered in its last years and for the horrible Xbox One launch.

The Xbox 360 was actually very successful commercially in its later years with the Kinect.

Kinect is the fastest consumer electronic device of all time (over the period of a couple of months I think?)

So from a business point of view, he did his job well with the X360 and Kinect in its later years. Yeah, more from a consumer point of view, MS first-party games output seemed really weak at that time.
 

Fox Mulder

Member
Mattrick joined MS in July 2007. Since the development of new software and hardware takes years, his influence could be seen only 2-3 years later. Two years after his arrival MS introduced Project Natal. The product was released in November 2010, a month after Mattrick was promoted to President of the Interactive Entertainment Business.

Coincidence? I think not.

The Kinect was shit, but helped sell a ton of consoles.
 

Afrodium

Banned
I hope to one day be successful enough that fucking up means I get to enjoy two golden parachutes within two years.
 

AsfaeksBR

Member
I bet he's going to King now.

Gotta try grabing that trademark on the word "Saga" they tried getting last year.
 
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