Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop to Lead Microsoft's Xbox Division

[MarlaDesat]

Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop to Lead Microsoft's Xbox Division

Stephen Elop will head Devices and Studios division, with Julie Larson-Green leaving her role to serve as Chief Experience Officer for Microsoft's My Life & Work team.

An internal memo obtained by head of the Devices and Studios division [http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/24/ahead-of-stephen-elops-return-microsofts-julie-larson-green-picks-up-new-internal-role/] to serve as Chief Executive Officer for the My Life & Work team in the Applications and Services Group.

"As hard as it is for me to leave Devices & Studios, I'm thrilled about this opportunity," says Larson-Green in the memo. "I'm looking forward to developing the Digital Life & Digital Work Experience Substrate that powers modern digital experiences regardless of device, as well as working across [Applications and Services Group] to strengthen customer experiences." Larson-Green also made note of the work accomplished during her time as head of the Devices and Studios division. "I want to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me and supporting me as the leader of Devices & Studios over the past 7 months. I'm very proud of what we have accomplished during such a short timeframe. We launched Xbox One, Surface 2 & Pro 2, blockbuster games like Forza and Ryse, a brand new Xbox Music and Video service, PPI, and some amazing unannounced innovations just to name a few - incredibly impressive!"

Larson-Green will continue to lead the Devices and Studios division until Elop joins Microsoft. Elop is no stranger to Microsoft. He previously worked as Microsoft's Business Division before moving on to become CEO of Nokia. Elop was also one of the Satya Nadella [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129358-Microsofts-CEO-Search-Narrows-To-Eight-Names], a twenty year Microsoft veteran, was selected and appointed as CEO on February 4.

Source: Games Industry International [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-02-25-microsoft-appoints-stephen-elop-to-head-xbox]


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[The White Hunter]

Well that's just fantastic, I'ms ure the Xbox division will thrive as well as Nokia's windows phone business did under this gentleman

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

 

[Albino Boo]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Well that's just fantastic, I'ms ure the Xbox division will thrive as well as Nokia's windows phone business did under this gentleman

I thought it was the push towards the Windows platform that did Nokia in, but then I searched 'Stephen Elop.'

Good grief.

Well it was nice knowing you Xbone, take heart that you at least out of the running for the wooden spoon as I doubt the WiiU can drag itself fast enough to overtake you without coughing up a lung.

So! Who's up for round 9?

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

This guy managed to drive Nokia into the ground and had another company file for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Oh Nokia and another company were bought out under him.

And now he's going to lead a division which investors want sold.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

You're missing the point. There's a ton of people who know how to run a world wide production and distribution. But you should know something about the actual industry and the audience you're selling to. I didn't say that he has to know how to make the Xbone or a video game. But he should know what the consumers want if he's going to try to sell his product. Guys like him care only about the shareholders. Guys like him are the reason the Xbone reveal was such a freakin' disaster.

 

[Saltyk]

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

This guy managed to drive Nokia into the ground and had another company file for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Oh Nokia and another company were bought out under him.

And now he's going to lead a division which investors want sold.

Yeah, that's the part that makes me wary. This guy is largely responsible for the failure of Nokia, and more, and now he is going to be in charge of a division that many in Microsoft want to sell off. This does not inspire confidence in the longevity of the brand.

It almost seems like they are trying to set up Xbox to fail.

 

[Roxas1359]

Oh...oh why did Microsoft put him in charge!?
Well this is bad for the Xbox division, put the man best accredited for the failure of Nokia in charge of the division many investors want sold off...
Not to mention that Elop was attempting to be CEO of Microsoft and during that time he was advocating selling off the Xbox brand, so yeah that's why I'm not confident with this change.

 

[JayRPG]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

Stephen Elop is considered the one who destroyed Nokia...

Nokia was the leading mobile phone manufacturer for over a decade, he came into the business in 2010, refused any Android deal in favor of their in-house, ancient, broken, loathsome OS Symbian;
Released the N6, N7, N8 and N9 which were all failures and each one was almost the same as the last, same in appearance, same buggy symbian OS (until meego on the N9 which was even worse) and he didn't learn 1 single thing each time a product failed.

Then he plans a new strategy: To recover from a 92% profit loss year on year Nokia will be teaming up with the least popular, lowest market share, barely established OS Windows phone.

Good job Stephen, you truly are a visionary, in the same way that I envision an impromptu self-taught fire breathing lesson while drunk being a good idea

 

[O maestre]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

Stephen Elop is considered the one who destroyed Nokia...

Nokia was the leading mobile phone manufacturer for over a decade, he came into the business in 2010, refused any Android deal in favor of their in-house, ancient, broken, loathsome OS Symbian;
Released the N6, N7, N8 and N9 which were all failures and each one was almost the same as the last, same in appearance, same buggy symbian OS (until meego on the N9 which was even worse) and he didn't learn 1 single thing each time a product failed.

Then he plans a new strategy: To recover from a 92% profit loss year on year Nokia will be teaming up with the least popular, lowest market share, barely established OS Windows phone.

Good job Stephen, you truly are a visionary, in the same way that I envision an impromptu fire breathing self-taught lesson while drunk being a good idea

Some say that Elop was sent to Nokia to cause it's downfall, and make them cheaper to buy. But that is only the opinion of some conspiracy obsessed Finns.

This is a bad choice, I seem to remember that Elop's vision for M$ was that they should sell everything that is not office and windows, that means skype, xbox, tablets and phones everything trimmed down.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Good grief. Ok, where do I go to put in my own bid for the job? I just continue to be baffled by what I am seeing. Is it REALLY that difficult to understand that you need someone that understands gaming, to be in charge of gaming? It seems like every day something comes up that just makes me want to bang my head on the desk repeatedly.

 

[Darth Sea Bass]

The guy who killed Nokia in charge of xbox division? Well that'll end well.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

Good grief. Ok, where do I go to put in my own bid for the job? I just continue to be baffled by what I am seeing. Is it REALLY that difficult to understand that you need someone that understands gaming, to be in charge of gaming? It seems like every day something comes up that just makes me want to bang my head on the desk repeatedly.

He isn't there for gaming. He's there to sell the xbox brand. Between his history as a businessman, the investor pressure Microsoft is facing to get out of hardware, and what he had planned if he'd become CEO, it's pretty obvious.

I'm kind of curious if an xbox without Microsoft will continue to be viable.

 

[Imre Csete]

Didin't he say he'd sell the X-box division and focus on licencing if he becomes Microsoft's next CEO a while back?

 

[Atmos Duality]

Some say that Elop was sent to Nokia to cause it's downfall, and make them cheaper to buy. But that is only the opinion of some conspiracy obsessed Finns.

It wouldn't surprise me, honestly.
Microsoft is ruthless, always has been ruthless. (you don't grow to their size without being ruthless to some degree)
They've employed worse than mercenary CEOs to sabotage other companies. (check out their torpedo-style acquisitions in the 90s)

The fact M$ hired back the guy who sunk the damn company is the biggest tell to me; otherwise, why hire back the fox to guard their henhouse?

In any case, Microsoft needed experience and talent in the smart-device market.
Badly. (Especially running headlong into the brick walls that are the Android platform and Apple).
So snatching up Nokia on the cheap (well, cheap for M$) was a pretty sweet two-for-one deal.

This is a bad choice, I seem to remember that Elop's vision for M$ was that they should sell everything that is not office and windows, that means skype, xbox, tablets and phones everything trimmed down.

Agreed, Xbone users should take note; prospective Xbone customers, well, beware.

Again, I would not be surprised if Elop's long term task is preparing stripping the distributable assets (software and firmware mainly; any platform related work that can be integrated into Windows or licensed to other platforms especially) and preparing the rest of the division for sale a couple years down the line.

It's no secret that many investors and upper brass in M$ want to see the division sold.

Which isn't to say development won't occur in that time; anything to bolster its value (and appeal) to prospective buyers.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

so they're appointing the guy who was rumored to consider selling off the XBox brand head of the XBox brand. This is probably not going to go over well.

 

[RossaLincoln]

Yeah, this is a sad day for the gaming industry. These corporations, man. They keep putting people who know nothing about the video game industry in charge of the video game industry.

Yeah because its not like he knows how to run a world wide production and distribution system of electronic devices or anything. You dont have to know about how to make TV shows to manufacture televisions.

Whether or not he knew how to run it, he certainly didn't since he ran the company into the ground. What's more, he appears to have done so on purpose.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/terokuittinen/2013/09/24/nokia-admits-giving-misleading-information-about-elops-compensation/

The sad thing is that Nokia employees were convinced from the beginning he was a mole.

http://www.winrumors.com/nokia-employees-still-worried-that-elop-is-a-microsoft-mole/

And they were right. What this means for Xbox, I don't claim to know, but if I were Larson-Green I would be updating my resume. She got screwed.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Seems like more nails in the coffin to me. Given all the new head honchos at MS are people who stated they don't want the Xbox division, I wouldn't be surprised if they did sell it. I heard an interesting rumor that Amazon might be buyer, which could be interesting. Maybe a competitive company like Amazon will finally put Sony's $1 off psn sales prices and Nintendo's $20 for 3 decades old games to shame. Not to mention the way they price their Kindles could lead to cheaper Xb1's without the fat like the kinect camera. I'm kinda looking forward to a post-Balmer Microsoft