Microsoft CEO candidate may consider selling off the Xbox brand

[TopWargamer]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5080192/microsoft-ceo-candidate-stephen-elop-bing-xbox-rumors
 

 

Recent reports suggest the company has shortlisted Ford CEO Alan Mulally and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop as external candidates. Mulally has stated he has no intentions to leave Ford, but a Bloomberg report claims that Elop has big plans if he’s made CEO. After a brief stint as the head of Microsoft’s business division, responsible for Office and other products, Elop’s return to Microsoft in the CEO position would reportedly involve a push for Office on Android and iOS.

 

. . .

 

Bloomberg also suggests that Elop is willing to shut down or sell some major Microsoft businesses. Elop would reportedly considering killing off the company’s Bing search engine, while contemplating selling the Xbox business. Some investors and analysts have previously called for the software giant to split off its Xbox business and give up on search. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen appears to feel the same way. Allen’s $15-billion asset manager, Paul Ghaffari, revealed recently that Bing and Xbox have been distractions for Microsoft. "My view is there are some parts of that operation they should probably spin out, get rid of, to focus on the enterprise and focus on the cloud." Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund claims Microsoft’s financial earnings could be boosted by 40 percent in fiscal 2015 if the company sold its Bing and Xbox businesses.

 

Get rid of Bing? Ok. I think we're all ok with that. Now if Elop were to get rid of Xbox? That's a completely different story. Xbox is a huge source of revenue for Microsoft and Elop would be stupid to sell of the Xbox brand. 

 

If Elop becomes CEO, and if he ends up selling off the Xbox brand, he then wants to focus Microsoft mainly on Office. Sure Office is great and all, but it would be stupid to focus Microsoft on Office while getting rid of one of their biggest sources of revenue, Xbox. 

 

So if Elop becomes CEO, and if he does all of this, let's just hope that he knows what he's doing. 

[MzCatieB]

Sell it to Valve / Steam !!!!!!! 

[Exotath]

Lets sell the one thing we barely do correctly. Smart.

[chillxnate]

Sell it to Valve / Steam !!!!!!! 

 

I may be completely wrong, but even if Valve were interested in aquiring the brand I don't think they have that kind of money.

[megadarkwood]

[Damikiller37]

Killing Bing would be a good idea but Xbox? That's like saying "Sony you won we give up and now we want to lose even more money". Selling Xbox to Valve could be an ok idea but Valve really doesn't want to be a 'console' but more of a PC then again it would give them a huge brand name to start with.

[delet my acc pls]

KILL BING!!!!!

[onionring]

Sell it to Valve / Steam !!!!!!!

i don t think valve would want it... they already got pcs and are working on putting pcs everywhere.

they don t want/need a uncustomisable apu box when they can have any combinaison of hardware instead

[MdX MaxX]

I can see Xbox spinning off and essentially becoming its own company, but being sold to someone else? How would that be possible? It's not like Microsoft can just hand over the entire infrastructure.

(Selling to Valve, are you kidding? What good could come of that?)

[ACatWithThumbs]

This would be awesome, because if they sell Xbox they can go back and focus on PC wich would be awesome for us but maybe bad for VALVE.

[ivhyn]

Don't sell the Xbox division!

They may don't have a good console this time around but it's about the games and MS got some brilliant exclusives.

[exyia]

kids who think this is about "console wars" need to wake up and realize how little you understand about a business

 

XBox is such a small part of Microsoft - a company that has nearly completely lost it's direction and focus. The point he's trying to make is that Microsoft needs to reform and regroup with a new direction to bounce back. While this is a bit drastic of an idea (key word, idea - he never promised to do it if he's elected CEO), his motives are no different than anyone else.

[Ethnod]

Nope, shut down bing. 

 

The reason they are talking about selling is cause consoles are dead. nice to know MS know this 

 

btw, here is the same article but not mobile

http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5080192/microsoft-ceo-candidate-stephen-elop-bing-xbox-rumors

[flibberdipper]

That might hit him where it hurts. Microsoft would probably lose some money on this.

[Derangel]

kids who think this is about "console wars" need to wake up and realize how little you understand about a business

 

XBox is such a small part of Microsoft - a company that has nearly completely lost it's direction and focus. The point he's trying to make is that Microsoft needs to reform and regroup with a new direction to bounce back. While this is a bit drastic of an idea (key word, idea - he never promised to do it if he's elected CEO), his motives are no different than anyone else.

 

Exactly this. Over the last several years Microsoft has tried to be everything while not being able to do anything amazingly well. Let's be frank: The reason the 360 became so popular was because Microsoft was able to throw billions at it and at publishers. Making big exclusive and timed exclusive deals with major publishers like Bethesda and Activision went a very long way, a long with actually having a decent online network. It was a good strategy, but Microsoft never understood gaming or gamers. From everything I've read by former employees Microsoft had terrible management of their 1st party studios and the debacle that has been the XB1 launch is continuing to prove that MS just doesn't "get it". Surface and Windows 8 are some more shining examples of Microsoft's lack of focus and understanding of their markets. Windows 8 isn't a bad OS, but it is a mobile OS. There is a reason Apple has both iOS and OSX, there is no such thing as a single OS that will work for every device. Microsoft seems to have expected everyone to rush out and get touchscreen monitors and then flock to 8 on the desktop. I could go on, but really Microsoft just needs to stop trying to be Apple and Google for a minute and figure out how to make their own path and fix their completely broken image. Spinning Xbox off into it's own company that is not directly run by Microsoft or Microsoft polices could be a very good thing for both Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

[ssmuthu]

I feel like Microsoft must not sell both. They have good money they can recruit some people and make both work. If they sell Xbox it is like giving it up to Sony and selling bing is like giving up to Google. They put lot of effort to do some gimmicks on both bing and X-box one. Put some more reasonable update and make it work. People always like new things. They all want to experiment as well as they need quality output. So instead of selling they can always make it work. 

[Derangel]

I feel like Microsoft must not sell both. They have good money they can recruit some people and make both work. If they sell Xbox it is like giving it up to Sony and selling bing is like giving up to Google. They put lot of effort to do some gimmicks on both bing and X-box one. Put some more reasonable update and make it work. People always like new things. They all want to experiment as well as they need quality output. So instead of selling they can always make it work. 

 

It doesn't matter who is in charge of Xbox or who they hire to work within it. The people at the higher chains of MS's command and the board itself do not understand gaming at all. Nintendo has a game developer running the company and Kaz Hirai, the former head of Sony Computer Entertainment America, is in charge of all of Sony. On top of that, Microsoft is a software company. They have never and still don't "get" hardware. Having someone like Stephen Elop as CEO might be a very good thing because the man knows hardware and won't likely completely mismanage the Nokia division into the ground. I honestly think that if Microsoft puts another Ballmer in charge the company is sunk. They need a person like Elop who understand more than software and is willing to make the hard cuts that internal people aren't going to do. Microsoft is in serious need of a fresh perspective from people outside of their company.

[Hulk]

I'm guessing this means that Halo will be available for the PC since its no longer required to be associated as a 'golden egg' for a company thats no longer MS. I'm happy on that note, but there are quite a few cons though; although if sold the XBox division will be more effecient and consumer friendly under a new lead.

[Humbug]

Sell it to Valve / Steam !!!!!!! 

 

Valve won't buy it.  What are they going to do with it?

It doesn't fit in with their goals or strategy in any way.

 

[ssmuthu]

It doesn't matter who is in charge of Xbox or who they hire to work within it. The people at the higher chains of MS's command and the board itself do not understand gaming at all. Nintendo has a game developer running the company and Kaz Hirai, the former head of Sony Computer Entertainment America, is in charge of all of Sony. On top of that, Microsoft is a software company. They have never and still don't "get" hardware. Having someone like Stephen Elop as CEO might be a very good thing because the man knows hardware and won't likely completely mismanage the Nokia division into the ground. I honestly think that if Microsoft puts another Ballmer in charge the company is sunk. They need a person like Elop who understand more than software and is willing to make the hard cuts that internal people aren't going to do. Microsoft is in serious need of a fresh perspective from people outside of their company.

 

But why by selling Xbox. Xbox is the only high end gaming console against PS4 and it is holding by big company called Microsoft. Let Elop come do some changes in hardware division make things more premium and loveable but not by selling. As an Enterprise like Microsoft they must hold this together. If it is not Microsoft, Xbox would have not been this much hit and Xbox one looks really promising (well more like gimmicks but still a better new start.)

 

http://www.citeworld.com/bing/22663/microsoft-needs-bing-and-xbox

[1funnygame]

AND WII U EVEN CLOSER TO TAKING THE LEAD 

[Derangel]

But why by selling Xbox. Xbox is the only high end gaming console against PS4 and it is holding by big company called Microsoft. Let Elop come do some changes in hardware division make things more premium and loveable but not by selling. As an Enterprise like Microsoft they must hold this together. If it is not Microsoft, Xbox would have not been this much hit and Xbox one looks really promising (well more like gimmicks but still a better new start.)

 

http://www.citeworld.com/bing/22663/microsoft-needs-bing-and-xbox

 

Have you been watching how badly Microsoft has bungled the entire launch of the XB1? They have done nothing since announcing the thing but prove time and time again that they simply do not "get it". The DRM fiasco was so bad that mainstream news media reported on it and MS has done a crap job at getting out the information about them dropping it. They turned the console into the laughing stock of the internet and allowed Sony to take a lead without any effort. I like both systems but right now the PS4 is proving to be a clear winner out of the gate. From the top of the company on down Sony has people in place that understand gaming and have a vision. Microsoft has no vision for it's company and no focus. They are trying to be Apple, Google, Sony, and Nintendo all at once. I'm not saying sell the Xbox division, but spin it off into it's own company. Let Xbox exist as it's own entity, not forced to deal with MS' screwed corporate culture and allowed to be managed from the top by people with vision and understanding.