Microsoft Corp. plans to restructure its entertainment division and hand more control over its strategy in this area to executives that oversaw the development and launch of the Xbox 360 game console, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
As a result of the restructuring, Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices group will have four divisions, including the Entertainment Business division, which will handle music, TV and video, and the Interactive Entertainment Business division, which will oversee the gaming business, including the Xbox, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an internal Microsoft e-mail as its source.
Robbie Bach, the president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, will now take responsibility for the company’s MSN Music business and manage Microsoft’s relationships with partners, including music and movie companies, the report said. Bach who led the development of the Xbox 360, assumed this role in September.
Other Xbox executives taking a larger role as a result of this restructuring include Bryan Lee, the former head of finance for the Xbox division, will manage the Entertainment Business division and Peter Moore, who led the Xbox 360 marketing effort, will head the Interactive Entertainment Business division, the report said.
J Allard, one of the Xbox 360 designers, will coordinate the strategy of all four divisions under Bach’s Entertainment and Devices group, it said.