Amazon Snaps Up Microsoft Xbox Live Guru

In a move that will send no end of shockwaves through Google, Facebook and other wannabe game revenue makers, Amazon has signed up Microsoft's long-time Director Games Platform Strategy, Andre Vrignaud.

Writing in his personal blog, Mr Vrignaud says, "Well, I guess I’ll just cut to the chase and say that I’m moving on from Microsoft to take a new role at Amazon. Can’t really talk about details at this point, but it’ll become pretty evident soon enough… and you all know where my passions lie. :-)"

You don't know? It's gaming.

Says Andre, "It’s been an amazing eight years here at Microsoft. I originally joined to help build and evangelize Xbox LIVE to a skeptical game industry. When I started, the team consisted of maybe 30 people in a hallway in the now-defunct Millennium campus."

He also adds elsewhere that, "Recently I’ve started thinking more about mobile gaming as well, especially how we roll out Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone."

It has to be said that it's a big poach by Amazon.