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Microsoft multimedia exec Blair Westlake resigns
The man who oversaw Microsoft's licensing of TV, movies, and music for services including Xbox is no longer at the company. As Variety reports, former Corporate VP of Media & Entertainment Blair Westlake said Microsoft's future plans didn't align with his expertise. "It has become clear to me the organization is moving in a direction that does not fit either my expertise or my skill sets," reads Westlake's statement to Variety. "Over the last few months Microsoft has been undergoing a large-scale reorganization. During that period, I have had the privilege of working with numerous talented and professional people. While I will miss their company and our interaction, I truly believe that this move is in the best interest of all parties concerned. I want to thank my talented and committed team, as well as Yusuf Mehdi, Robbie Bach, Will Poole and Hank Vigil, all of whom had a significant and positive impact on me during my tenure at Microsoft." Westlake joined Microsoft in August 2004 after a long career in Hollywood, having consulted for Comcast and NBC Universal, and chaired Universal Studios' Television & Networks group. At Microsoft, Westlake liaised with TV, film, and music industries, and helped push Xbox towards becoming an all-in-one games and entertainment hub. That push continues in 2014 with original programming coming to Xbox, which President of Entertainment & Digtial Media Nancy Tellem has overseen since joining the company in 2012. Meanwhile, Microsoft is still looking for a CEO to succeed the retiring Steve Ballmer.
Xbox multimedia exec steps down, cites Microsoft's new 'direction'
In the face of a CEO switch-up and massive internal reorganization at Microsoft, the Xbox business has seemed the closest thing to stable inside the company. But Redmond's entertainment wing is hardly immune; Variety reports that Blair Westlake, VP of Microsoft's Media and Entertainment Group, has just resigned. "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," Westlake explained in a statement yesterday. He also added, "I truly believe that this move is in the best interest of all parties concerned." Since 2004, he's headed up both media partnerships and licensing agreements for Xbox, and it's largely to Westlake's credit that the Xbox platform expanded to include respectable music and video content in addition to a full library of games. Westlake's departure may cause some hiccups in the entertainment department, but original content is still on the agenda; expect to see a new series or two (including a live-action take on Halo) on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 in the coming months.
