14 DAY TRIAL // In a surprising move social game developer Zynga is announcing that Don Mattrick, who until recently was working on the Xbox One at Microsoft, will become the chief executive officer of the company.
Mark Pincus, the founder of the company who served as CEO, will remain chairman of the board and will also serve as chief product officer.
The new position for Mattrick means that he will oversee all development process at the company and will have a major influence on the types of games that it creates and delivers to players.
Mark Pincus states in a statement, "Don is unique in the game business. He can execute in multiple domains -- hardware, software and network, and he's been the person responsible for game franchises like Need for Speed, FIFA and The Sims."
Zynga was once the giant of the rapidly expanding social game space but it has failed to innovate in the last few years and has seen its Farmville type gameplay eclipsed by titles from other companies.