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
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