After an earlier report said that he’d be leaving Microsoft, Don Mattrick has just been announced as CEO of Zynga. Here’s Mark Pincus’s letter detailing the changes at the Farmville company.
To our Zynga employees, players and shareholders,
Today is a big day. I’m excited to announce that Don Mattrick will be joining us as Zynga’s new CEO and member of our Board. I wanted to let you all know why I made the decision to recruit Don and what I think it means for all of us.
Over the last few months I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about all that we have achieved together as a company. We have pioneered social gaming and helped make Play a core part of millions of people’s lives. But Zynga has so much more potential ahead, the opportunity to be an Internet Treasure and deliver on our mission of connecting the world through games.
As I reflect on the past six years, I realise that I’ve had the greatest impact working as an entrepreneur with product teams, developing games that could entertain and connect millions.
I’ve always said to Bing and our Board that if I could find someone who could do a better job as our CEO I’d do all I could to recruit and bring that person in. I’m confident that Don is that leader.
If you’re not familiar with Don, he’s an entertainment and game industry innovator who’s been making products and scaling teams and businesses for the last 30 years. Don’s had major leadership roles at Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Distinctive Software, which he founded when he was 17 years old.
Don is unique in the game business. 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.
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.
Don officially starts next week; however he’ll be joining me tomorrow to host an All-Hands meeting so you can all have an opportunity to meet him and ask any questions. Please feel free as always to post your questions and vote up questions on our Zyntranet here.
Thanks and see you tomorrow.
Mark
Comments
11 responses to “Don Mattrick Is Now The CEO Of Zynga”
The ‘Indie’ games to appear on the Xbone will be Zynga games then? Match made in silicon hell
Or does this pave the way for Zynga to try AAA titles?
Dolla dolla bills y’all.
MS meeting “you’ve fucked up quite enormously… Your fired”
exactly… theres no way he’d get away with the bullshit he said during E3… good riddance… i couldn’t give 2 shits about zynga so its a good place for him to go
Huh? Don’t try to pretend microsoft sans the mattick is somehow going to be completely different. Yes they reversed the drm policies but it actually sucks. No possible chance for an innovative price structure but there was a good chance that was never going to happen anyways. Also you know they removed the family sharing plan as a fuck you for making them switch the drm policies so yea they seem like great people…..
i don’t understand your reply… i never said MS was going to change dramatically due to him leaving/being told to leave…
anyone hoping for “better pricing” or that the “family plan” was going to be awesome are kidding themselves… its Microsoft, they’d have found a way to make it a pain in the arse in their own favor…
Mattrick was the one that made XBOX incredibly profitable by inventing technologies such as XBOX Live Gold
Kinect
His last invention was pioneering technologies to make money off games already sold, oh and Kinect 2.
They think “profit is feedback” and “feedback is profit”.
Example: Kinect 1 and the first 2 or 3 games made a lot of money; so it has to be the best direction for future gaming. They have no idea that the majority that bought the product are utterly disappointed.
Because the first car ever created was a Porsche 911…
I cracked up when I read this!! What a suitable company.
So will he do a 180 in a weeks time and return to Microsoft?