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Tag: Departures

  • Criterion Games Founders Leave EA, Form New Studio

    Criterion Games, one of the most talented developers in the games industry, is one of the last studios you’d expect to see lose talent. That’s exactly what’s happening today with the departure of the studio’s founders.

    Polygon reports that Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry – the two founders of Criterion Games – have officially left the developer and its owners at Electronic Arts. EA broke the news this morning saying that it “appreciate[s] their many contributions through the years and wish them well in their future endeavors.”

    Like with any high profile departure, people are already worried that this means the end of Criterion. After all, things seemingly go downhill when a studio’s founders leave. It doesn’t make it any less worrisome knowing that Criterion was gutted last year to add more manpower to the newly formed Ghost Games, developers on Need for Speed Rivals.

    EA probably anticipated such fears and released a statement saying that Criterion is still sticking around. The studio has about 20 people working on a new IP which EA claims is a “major priority” for the publisher going forward. This new IP is now being headed up by studio producer Matt Webster who is now in charge of the entire studio.

    So, what about Ward and Sperry? While the two haven’t revealed all of their plans, Ward did share the following statement via Twitter:

    As for Sperry, she says her partnership with Ward is just getting started:

    While it’s sad to see the two people responsible for the excellent Burnout series leave Criterion, they will most assuredly make some amazing games at their new outlet. We can only hope Criterion continues to make amazing games as well, even if Burnout doesn’t make a comeback.

    Image via GameNewsOfficial/YouTube

  • Microsoft’s Mich Mathews Stepping Down

    Microsoft’s Mich Mathews Stepping Down

    Irony anyone?  This week, Microsoft is hosting “Imagine 2011,” a marketing leadership summit at its Redmond, Washington headquarters.  Late last night, Microsoft’s global marketing head announced she will be leaving the company.

    Mich Mathews, a former General Motors employee, has been with the company since 1989.  After working as a UK consultant for the company, she started full-time in 1993.  As she worked her way up through the ranks she was responsible for internal communications as well as advertising and public relations.  Currently, Mathews is responsible for over $1 billion of marketing for Windows, Bing and Xbox.

    She will be helping Microsoft’s COO and CEO find her replacement.

    In speaking to Ad Age, Mathews states that she made her decision over Christmas, and that she simply wants to break it up and start a new part of her life:

    “Twenty-two years in one place … I feel like I’ve done so much” and “frankly it’s time to do something new. It’s half a lifetime. Microsoft was chapter one and it’s time for a chapter two.  It’s going to be awesome to actually get off the grid.”

    She will definitely be taking a break for a while, and surveying her options.  “I am going to talk to a lot of people, return all those calls I’ve never returned, take the summer and dive into something probably around the fall time frame.”