Microsoft has confirmed some major organizational changes to its Entertainment and Devices unit following the departure of Corporate Vice President Enrique Rodriguez, who has reportedly decided to pursue other interests. Under Rodriquez were teams for Zune Software & Services, Mediaroom IPTV and Media Center. Those have now been moved to Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB).
The IEB division is also part of Entertainment and Devices, and is in charge of Xbox development, Games for Windows and Microsoft Game Studios. “As a natural evolution of the Interactive Entertainment Business, our consumer products and experiences focused on games, movies, TV and music will move into IEB, led by SVP Don Mattrick. In addition, we’ve formed a new centralized E&D services infrastructure team, which will act as a combined resource across the division,” a spokesperson said.
“Finally, Enrique Rodriguez has decided to move on from his leadership position running the TV, video and music business and is evaluating his next career opportunity. The TVM first party business, Zune and Windows Medica Center will move to IEB, and Mediaroom, the TV platform business, will become a standalone group within E&D, reporting directly to (E&D) President Robbie Bach.”
The move has led to speculation that Microsoft may also move Windows Mobile away from the Entertainment and Devices unit, and put it under President Steven Sinofsky, who heads up development and strategies for Windows, Internet Explorer and Windows Live. Such a move would signal a change in the way Microsoft views the market for software developed for mobile platforms.
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Robbie Bach, Microsoft’s president for entertainment and devices has once again denied the rumors that have flared up on the internet that a Blu-ray enabled Xbox 360 or a Zune mobile phone is coming soon, or at all.
When asked if a Zune phone was coming to rival Apple’s iPhone, Bach said “there are plenty of Windows Mobile products on the market right now and that Microsoft doesn’t have any plans to make phones ourselves.”
When told that rumors had flared up again about a Blu-ray Xbox 360, Bach added the rumors are “so far out that there isn’t anything to talk about.”
When asked if he felt HD disc formats were a failure so far, Bach added, “You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, “I am not going to pay extra for that.”
In the wake of anticipated 3G iPhone launch today, Microsoft is expected to make a new product announcement as well, and it appears the product will be a touchscreen Zune.
We will update the article when we know the announcement for sure.
