14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced that Shane Kim, the face that has been long associated with the Microsoft Game Studios and with the Entertainment Business division, should retire from all his positions at the end of the year. Apparently, he plans to exit the videogaming business altogether and retire after about 19 years of working for Microsoft. A company spokesperson stated that “He expressed a desire to spend more time with family, so that's why he's making his retirement.”
When the announcement was made, Kim held the full title of vice president, strategy and business development, Interactive Entertainment Business. It seems that his responsibilities will be taken over by Phil Spencer and Dennis Durkin.
There will be a transition period until the end of the year, during which Kim will continue to oversee operations as the two get used to their new tasks.
Phil Spencer is at the moment the general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. He will advance to corporate vice president and will have the role of overseeing the first-party videogames created by the Microsoft-owned developer. Dennis Durkin is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Interactive Entertainment Business and will become the Chief Operations Officer.
It's unlikely that the changes will affect the way the Xbox 360 operates over the coming period. The situation on the console market is far from simple at the moment. The Xbox 360 Pro received a price cut of 100 dollars and was brought to the same level as the all-new PlayStation 3 Slim. Apparently, the Nintendo Wii is also set to get a reduction of 50 dollars somewhere before the end of October and this will mean that Microsoft and especially the Xbox 360 division will have an interesting Christmas.