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View Full Version : The Inside scoop on Ed Fries departure



SmurfburgerX
01-14-2004, 10:13 PM
According to sources, Ed Fries had considered leaving his position at Microsoft since the fall. Robbie Bach and others inside the company tried to convince him to stay within the company in some capacity. Ed had considered taking on a role within the company that would have allowed him to be more invovled in the creative process. A top management official leaving just before the biggest sales quarter of the year would have looked troubling to those outside the company.

He later abandoned the idea of staying with the company altogether when he learned Microsoft had already talked to several people within the industry about filling his position long before he had even made a decision on what he was going to do.

Word within the company has it that Microsoft is courting potential replacements who work within rivaling companies. Microsoft has flirted with the idea of hiring someone from a large third party publisher/developer (which was the route they took when replacing the head of their japanese division) but the potential damage that could be done to their rivals next gen plans is seen as too great an opportunity to pass up.

However, they are ultimately wanting someone who can transform Microsoft Games Studios into a world class software development powerhouse and value background over name recognition. Some very heated debates have already begun about what part of the industry they should hire from and Mr. Fries old position may be redefined depending on the background of who is hired.


http://www.gamedreamz.com/index.cgi?m=stories&s=read&id=431

Peepers
01-14-2004, 11:03 PM
Originally posted by SmurfburgerX
According to sources, Ed Fries had considered leaving his position at Microsoft since the fall. Robbie Bach and others inside the company tried to convince him to stay within the company in some capacity. Ed had considered taking on a role within the company that would have allowed him to be more invovled in the creative process. A top management official leaving just before the biggest sales quarter of the year would have looked troubling to those outside the company.

He later abandoned the idea of staying with the company altogether when he learned Microsoft had already talked to several people within the industry about filling his position long before he had even made a decision on what he was going to do.

Word within the company has it that Microsoft is courting potential replacements who work within rivaling companies. Microsoft has flirted with the idea of hiring someone from a large third party publisher/developer (which was the route they took when replacing the head of their japanese division) but the potential damage that could be done to their rivals next gen plans is seen as too great an opportunity to pass up.

However, they are ultimately wanting someone who can transform Microsoft Games Studios into a world class software development powerhouse and value background over name recognition. Some very heated debates have already begun about what part of the industry they should hire from and Mr. Fries old position may be redefined depending on the background of who is hired.


http://www.gamedreamz.com/index.cgi?m=stories&s=read&id=431


Congratulations. Somebody actually comes on here and makes his first post usefull! That's almost unheard of. You're off to a great start at XBA. Welcome, I'm sure you'll fit right in. :cheers:

As for the article, I think the most interesting part is who will ultimately replace Fries. I wonder when we'll find out? Probably by the next quarter in some conference call or something.

WynnFire
01-15-2004, 12:13 AM
What the heck? This is the second major Xbox person leaving Microsoft since the Xbox came out.

Hero
01-15-2004, 04:55 AM
i think that sucks. i personally thought ed fries was cool. at least he looked like a gamer. if he left on his own becuase of better career opportunites then i say good for him but if he left becuase he knew he was getting the axe it might come back to bite microsoft in the ass. you never know if sony or EA might pick him up.

i dunno :eek:

nG-Punisher
01-15-2004, 09:00 AM
This will only mean delays...but lets hope not.