Microsoft Duo To Step Down

It’s all change over at Microsoft, with longstanding big-whigs Robbie Bach and James Allard set to leave the company’s Entertainment and Devices division in the coming months. Bach will step down as President of the division best known for the creation of such devices and services as Zune, Windows Games, Windows Mobile and Microsoft TV. Not forgetting a couple of consoles that start with the word “Xbox”, of course.

It’s believed the time required to take the division to the next level in terms of hardware (think Xbox 720) was just too much for the Microsoft lifer to commit to.

Allard on the other hand, soon to be ex-Chief Technology Officer of the division, has expressed his desire to spend more time with his family and to work on his philanthropic interests. He will remain as an advisor to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

We wish both gents the best in their future endeavours when they part ways with the company this autumn.

It’s been a strange week for the Redmond-based powerhouse. Apart from these two high-profile departures, the mega-corporation has also experienced criticism from one of its former own. Scot Bayless, former ex-studio manager at Microsoft, criticised the company’s lack of impetus when it came to integrating its new NATAL/Wave functionality with the Xbox 360, believing the device could be a failure. He said:

“When I met with Microsoft in 2008 to look at Natal I asked ‘When will you integrate this into the 360?’

Their response was ‘We’re probably going to wait and see on that’. To which I said ‘Then you’re going to fail’.”

Strong words from the man who gave America Sega’s Mega-CD.

Source: Wall Street Journal