Don Mattrick Joining Zynga As CEO

According to the words of the web site All Thing Digital, the president of Microsoft Entertainment Don Mattrick will soon announce his resignation to join the Zynga group.

Since the announcement of the Xbox One in late May, buzz for the console has been mired with troubled communications. First there was the reversal on DRM and online connectivity. Last week saw the headset double step. And now, Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, is reportedly leaving to take a top position at Zynga.

All Things D is reporting that Mattrick's appointment could come as soon as the financial markets close today. Mattrick has been at the center of some of Microsoft's biggest Xbox One missteps, including suggesting that people who can't connect to the Internet purchase an Xbox 360 instead and that the Xbox One offers "thousands of dollars of value."

Zynga has seen its own exodus of personnel both before and after cutting 520 jobs last month. We've reached out to Microsoft and Zynga for comment. At the time of publication, Microsoft has yet to respond and Zynga declined to comment.


Update: Zynga has confirmed that Don Mattrick, now former president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, is coming aboard as the company's new CEO.

On Monday, Mattrick will take over the reigns as founder Mark Pincus abdicates that role, but remains as chariman of the board and chief product officer. Mattrick will report to the board, who approved his hiring unanimously. He and Pincus will be part of a new executive committee that will manage broader operations between board meetings.

Mattrick joined Microsoft in 2007, after a long career in the gaming sector, starting at Distinctive Software, which he founded at 17 years old. It was later acquired by EA, where he eventually headed its global studios and research and development. According to his company bio, “since Mattrick began overseeing the Xbox division, the Xbox 360 installed base grew from 10 million to nearly 80 million worldwide while Xbox Live membership increased from 6 million to nearly 50 million.”

The Canadian native has long wanted to move back to the Bay area, where he has a home, said sources, another important factor in this move.