Mattrick wasn't fully to blame for that PR disaster but some of what he said did not help in the least. I never even got the feeling that he actually knew what he was talking about. He seemed to just bumble through every interview. Microsoft is better off without him.

He was one of them, but he was simply the easiest to drop. Anybody remember how he responded when someone asked him what they should do if they don't have stable internet? He said ''well, then the Xbox 360 is the console for you''. That sealed the deal.

I'm going to say that everyone at the reveal except Phil Spencer was responsible. Not because I have any evidence, but because Phil Spencer is the only one of them I like.

The disaster was the leaks and the way the internet obsessed over them. MS lost the ability to control the message about the One. Seriously, the reveal could've shown a full scale holodeck in action and afterwards all people would've wanted to know about was used games and DRM. It became all people wanted to know about when it wasn't even supposed to be this big of a thing.

Listen, I dig a good leak too, but I quite clearly see how destructive they can truly be when let loose on the world with zero context.

Pretty much how I feel too. Phil Spencer actually seems to genuinely enjoy games and its well known he himself is an avid gamer. Mattrick never came across that way, and neither does Yusuf Mehdi or most of MS brass to be honest.

This. Most of the general ideas probably came from on high, Mattrick was just the one who helped guide the division itself to give shape to the demands imposed by corporate.

Agree. Despite my rabid Nintendo fandom, i've never had any actual dislike for any of the other guys' execs, or even Mattrick himself, but you look at a picture of him and you just think "this is a guy i want to punch in the face."

No idea why. Something about his expression...

Who is to blame for the bad pr?All the people in charge at the Xbox division including Don Mattrick.

The problem with most of the Microsoft public relations people is that they talk down to their customers or try to convince you that you need features like Kinect 2.0 or NFL Fantasy Football. Perhaps the bigger concern is that people think Microsoft cares about the serious video gamers out there when in reality, it has always been the casuals that have bought into the console; those people who buy the latest Call Of Duty and Madden (or FIFA game in Europe) every year. A lot of individuals have this misguided belief that Xbox 360 and Xbox One were made for serious video gamers. Microsoft has always catered to casuals. Back at E3 2005, they were pushing the machine more to them than to the PS2 or PC gamer.

Don Mattrick really didn't do the One any favors with his comments but he basically had to tow the company line. MS has some pretty unlikeable people running the video game side of things. I'm not familiar with Phil Spencer but I'll take your words for it. Major Nelson, I have no issues with. Yusuf Mehdi and Aaron Greenberg are the two I can't stand.

Yes.

Just because he jumped ship. I really have no opinion towards it! I do hope Zynga dies, though.