Rumour: Mattrick Tried to Buy Zynga for Microsoft

Suspicious Bloomberg piece seems ready-made to bad mouth Mattrick

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Rumour: Mattrick Tried to Buy Zynga for Microsoft
Don Mattrick left Microsoft last month to head up Zynga. This much is fact. But a curious report is now suggesting that the executive tried to convince Microsoft to acquire the Facebook gaming company before he left. Coincidence? Or an all-too-convenient story seeking to character-assassinate and scapegoat the man for a failed Xbox One strategy?

The report from a major source is cites "people with knowledge of the matter" in claiming that "Mattrick negotiated with Zynga founder Mark Pincus about buying the maker of such popular games as 'FarmVille,'" assumedly for the Xbox platform.

Such sources might not even be secondary. Bloomberg - the source of the report - suggests that the tipsters had no involvement in the talks that took place. "The discussions ultimately fell apart, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private," the story adds, dubiously.

In the 1,000 word story, no other information is offered alluding to these supposed 2010 talks. Instead, the piece adds a lot of convenient fluff about how Mattrick and Zynga founder Mark Pincus "first discussed opportunities for Mattrick at Zynga in March, when the two road-bike enthusiasts began going on rides together, [according to] a person familiar with the talks." But, again, not someone directly involved in the talks. Could it have been someone in Mattrick's former office at Microsoft who planted this story with MSN competitor Bloomberg?

It's possible, though, that Mattrick did consider pushing for a Zynga buyout. The Facebook gaming company was once one of the most important industry startups on the planet, after all. But it's certainly strange that Microsoft insiders would want to suddenly start talking about an infatuation with buying Zynga out, a mere week after Mattrick had moved on.

The report is also keen to point out that Mattrick, "also led a push to turn the Xbox into an entertainment device for the whole family, rather than just gamers. He signed deals with Netflix Inc. (NFLX), Hulu Inc., Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s ESPN unit and Google Inc. (GOOG)’s YouTube, letting the company offer an array of video content through the device. "

It certainly smells like a very, very convenient story for Microsoft if the company is attempting to both distance itself from its failed initial Xbox One strategy... and to ensure one man takes the heat.
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