Home Gaming Xbox’s online media executive quits suddenly

Xbox’s online media executive quits suddenly

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I'd pay to see this

Have you ever heard of Blair Westlake? No it’s not a gated community or the follow up to the Blair Witch Project it’s actually one of those awesome American names of an executive who has just resigned from Microsoft.

There are two interesting parts to this story, well three if we count his name. The first being how suddenly his resignation has come and how the announcement wasn’t one of those normal ones where he wants to spend time with his family or experience new things.

In fact Blair is very straight forward about why he’s quit

“It has become clear to me that the organization is moving in a direction that does not fit either my expertise or my skill sets”

Ouch… but what does this mean to gaming?

Well Blair was a leading name in Microsoft’s drive to take over the living room and to use the Xbox as more of an entertainment centre than a gaming console.

As Variety reports

But Westlake had long been one of the biggest champions of online entertainment for Microsoft, and a well-respected executive that the company relied on to help turn the Xbox more into a hub for all forms of entertainment, not just video games.

So on the one hand this could signal a change in direction for Microsoft to start focusing more on gaming and less on the Xbox One being an overall media device.

Or for the more pessimistic among us we could see this as Microsoft’s first move to distance the entertainment side of their business from their hardware and software side in preparation for a split. Mind you I’m the eternal optimist and I think a split could help the Xbox brand in the long run, as long as it is picked up by someone with enough gaming knowledge to make a success of it.

How about Peter Moore getting himself some funding and taking over the department and making a run for it?

Last Updated: January 17, 2014

42 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief in Vegas

    January 17, 2014 at 13:46

    Wow, that’s something. All the execs and their leaving….THE PLOT THICKENS!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      January 17, 2014 at 14:04

      All the ex EA and MS guys are coming together. Muhahahaha

      Reply

      • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

        January 17, 2014 at 14:05

        To form a black hole of ego! I wonder if they’re all heading to google or apple.

        Reply

        • RinceThis2014

          January 17, 2014 at 14:10

          Appogle?

          Reply

          • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

            January 17, 2014 at 14:16

            Wow.. now there’s an image I’d rather scrub from my mind. Imagine if Google and Apple merged? Ugh!… I feel all unclean now.

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:23

            Yeah, I’ve been dry heaving over the bog for the past 10 minutes since that was born from my mind…

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 17, 2014 at 14:24

            BAD! You get back in your box!

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:25

            But it’s Friday!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 17, 2014 at 14:31

            Don’t you dare post it!

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:35

            HAHAHAHAHAH! I hadn’t even thought of that, meant I can’t go into the box as it’s Friday, I want to go home and drink beer! BUT IF YOU INSIST! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0

          • Rock789

            January 17, 2014 at 15:56

            Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…

            **melts**

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 15:58

            Bwahahahah My work is done! DONE!

          • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

            January 17, 2014 at 14:31

            wow… it just dawned on me. Today is Friday…. 😮

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:33

            Ya man! Beer o’clock soon! Meet you at Barrister’s?… BWAAHAHAHAHAH!

          • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

            January 17, 2014 at 14:35

            One day, I will pitch up and then you’ll have egg on your face. HA! #runsOffCrying

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:41

            Conditions for the Day the Nana pitchs up
            1. Trevor and I agree on something 5 times. DOOR 5 OPENS
            2. OVG says he loves the idea of the new microtransactions in Mass Effect and loves the notion you have to play it online, all the time.
            3. Tim goes an entire day spelling ‘a lot’ correctly’
            4. Geoff doesn’t spell something wrong
            5. The Admiral doesn’t post a cat/and/or animal gif
            THE NANA ARRIVES!

          • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

            January 17, 2014 at 14:43

            wow… 4 and 5! 😮

          • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

            January 17, 2014 at 14:43

            wow… 4 and 5! 😮

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 17, 2014 at 14:48

            That sounds about right. DOOR 3 OPEN!

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 14:58

            You are playing with fire man!

          • Admiral Chief in Vegas

            January 17, 2014 at 15:21

            When are you getting PC so we can jam L4D2?

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 15:26

            When I win the lottery 😛

          • Admiral Chief in Vegas

            January 17, 2014 at 15:11

            I haven’t posted a cat/animal today, have I?

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 15:16

            Nah, Puma pants wasn’t a post, let off 😉

          • Admiral Chief in Vegas

            January 17, 2014 at 15:21

            hahaa puma paaaaants!

          • Rock789

            January 17, 2014 at 15:55

            Apoogle? Nah, that sounds like a form of small dog. 😉 How about Goople? Wait… What?! Eeeewwwwww…

          • RinceThis2014

            January 17, 2014 at 16:01

            Gah! That sounds like something from Slimer!

    • Rock789

      January 17, 2014 at 15:54

      Precisely…

      “Like a great, think, plotting thing!” **said in heavy French accent**

      Reply

  2. Lourens Jordaan

    January 17, 2014 at 13:47

    Peter Moore? BAH! BAH I say! Micheal Moore would be awesome though.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      January 17, 2014 at 14:01

      Hahaha Peter Moore.

      Reply

      • Lourens Jordaan

        January 17, 2014 at 15:41

        Which Peter Moore is better suited for the job?
        Is it
        Peter Moore (born 1955) is a British business executive best known for his former positions as Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment …

        or is it

        Peter Moore (born 1940) is a Welsh serial killer who owned and managed a number of cinemas in North Wales. He murdered four men in 1995…

        The second one looks legit.

        Reply

        • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

          January 17, 2014 at 15:46

          The second one would get my vote.

          Reply

          • Lourens Jordaan

            January 17, 2014 at 16:05

            I agree, sometimes in order to optimize your team, heads should roll.

  3. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    January 17, 2014 at 13:56

    I wish my name was Blaire Westlake. Now that’s a Governor’s name, or a Pullitzer-prize, cowhandling, lucha masked wearing, terrorist bombing, cheeseburger-fuelled, M4 holding. son of a gun.

    Instead my mother played it safe. Sigh!

    Oh wait, what does it mean? It sounds like Microsoft is culling the fat, and hopefully returning to a more GAME-orientated push. Now if only they can get rid of Major Boner and that dude that ruined Def Jam… whatsisface dirtyhipster.

    Reply

    • RinceThis2014

      January 17, 2014 at 13:58

      Motherboard you say?

      Reply

    • Admiral Chief in Vegas

      January 17, 2014 at 13:58

      Yeah Jim Lenoir sounds like something out of a 1920’s erotic novel

      Reply

      • RinceThis2014

        January 17, 2014 at 14:08

        Baw chicky wow wow!

        Reply

  4. RinceThis2014

    January 17, 2014 at 14:12

    • Gareth L (That Guy)

      January 17, 2014 at 15:14

      Laughing so hard at this!

      Reply

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    January 17, 2014 at 14:22

    Sounds like fallout from deciding to move from games to entertainment with the new console. Apparently consumers weren’t too keen on that idea. Someone doesn’t sound too happy about it.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      January 17, 2014 at 14:30

      I suspect more heads will roll, or some individuals will find themselves “shifted” to new departments. I really hope Major Boner is one of them. The guy is really one of the worst features of Microsoft’s PR. If you’re left with this uncontrollable urge to punch someone in their smug face, you know they’re probably not PR material. Take that Mona guy from Sanral. Major Boner is on that level.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        January 17, 2014 at 14:32

        Poor guys, we all have our burdens to #dealwithit 😉

        Reply

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