http://venturebeat.com/2009/05/07/investing-in-xbox-360-microsoft-buys-game-developer/
It’s not hard to see why Microsoft decided to buy BigPark. Don Mattrick, head of the games division, owns a piece of BigPark and helped it get off the ground. Many of BigPark’s leaders go back to Distinctive Software, a company that Mattrick co-founded in the 1980s and sold to Electronic Arts in 1991. Microsoft said that Mattrick’s investment in BigPark was fully disclosed and the decision to buy BigPark was consistent with Microsoft’s code of conduct. Only individuals were investors in BigPark.
BigPark has 50 employees. It was founded in 2007 by Wil Mozell, Erik Kiss, Hanno Lemke and Mattrick (before he became Microsoft’s game chief). The team had worked for EA’s Vancouver studio on big hits such as “Need for Speed,” “FIFA Soccer,” “NBA Street,” and “SSX.” Big Park will be part of Microsoft Game Studios and continue work on an exclusive Xbox 360 game. One of the games will be showcased at E3 in June.
Good move?
