Is Microsoft's shake-up enough to get E&D back on track?
The news of the departures of J Allard and Robbie Bach from Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division has been met with a remarkable breadth of opinion. Bach and Allard were both instrumental in the development and marketing of the Xbox console.
Bach led Microsoft's Home and Entertainment Group, which encompassed the Xbox, Games for Windows, and Microsoft's consumer-oriented hardware and software products. In 2005, he was made president of the newly formed Entertainment & Devices (E&D) division, which spans four areas: the Interactive Entertainment Business, responsible for Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows, Zune, and Windows Media Center; the Media Platforms Business, which includes MediaRoom and PlayReady; the Mobile Communications Business, covering Windows Mobile/Windows Phone, Kin, and related software and services; and the Specialized Devices & Applications Business, which covers Microsoft Hardware, Surface, Office for Mac, and Windows Embedded.
