Microsoft
Following his retirement from Electronic Arts in February 2007, Mattrick was asked by Robert J. Bach to be an external advisor to the Entertainment and Devices Division. In July 2007, Mattrick officially joined Microsoft as a senior vice president overseeing the Xbox 360 and PC gaming businesses,[8] with his oversight apparently leading to an increase in video game installations and Xbox LIVE subscriptions.[9][10]
Mattrick is also largely credited for his work in developing Kinect for Xbox 360. Mattrick unveiled Kinect under the code-name of "Project Natal" at E3 2009 on stage with Steven Spielberg.[11][12]
In October 2010, Mattrick was promoted to president of the Interactive Entertainment Business, overseeing a range of consumer businesses including Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, Kinect, Music, and Video, as well as PC and mobile interactive entertainment.
In August 2011, Fortune magazine named Mattrick one of the "Smartest People in Tech 2011", and cited his role in developing and releasing Kinect.[13] In May 2012, Mattrick was named one of CNN Money's top 10 brilliant technology visionaries.[14]
On May 21, 2013, Mattrick unveiled the new Xbox One, the successor to the Xbox 360, an all-in-one entertainment system. He later dismissed criticisms of the system's "always on" internet connection by saying "We have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity; it's called Xbox 360."[15]
Mattrick left Microsoft on July 1, 2013, to join Zynga as CEO and would eventually be replaced by Phil Spencer as Head of Xbox in 2014.[16][17]
In Power On: The Story of Xbox, a web series documentary on Xbox released in December 2021, Mattrick commented on the Xbox One's controversial and unpopular launch strategy, admitting that the Xbox One reveal event was too focused on TV features and that he and his team "could have done a better job of reassuring people that we were committed to excellence in gaming."[18]
