Microsoft is promoting Rare workplace lead Craig Duncan to the caput of Xbox Game Studios, pursuing the status of Alan Hartman. The alteration of activity comes little than a twelvemonth aft Hartman took on the caput of Xbox Game Studios domiciled aft Matt Booty was promoted to an expanded president of crippled contented and studios position.
In an email to Xbox labor today, seen by The Verge, Booty shared that Hartman is retiring astatine the extremity of November aft much than 30 years astatine Microsoft. Hartman primitively started astatine Microsoft wrong the CD-ROM group successful 1988, earlier moving connected Age of Empires, Brute Force, and workplace caput of Digital Anvil. He besides helped recovered Turn 10, the location of Forza Motorsport.
Rare workplace main Craig Duncan will return complete the domiciled of caput of Xbox Game Studios shortly, pinch Joe Neate and Jim Horth taking complete arsenic co-leads of Rare arsenic the squad continues to activity connected Sea of Thieves and the upcoming Everwild action-adventure game. “In his caller role, Craig will proceed to attraction connected helping our studios present high-quality, differentiated crippled experiences that tin turn into successful franchises and scope much players by investing successful caller IP,” says Booty.
Here’s the afloat memo from Matt Booty:
Today I americium sharing news regarding activity changes wrong our team. After much than 30 years astatine Microsoft, Alan Hartman is retiring astatine the extremity of November.
Alan’s profession has been marked by innovation, dedication, and an unwavering passion for gaming. Starting arsenic a contractor astatine Microsoft successful the fledgling CD-ROM group successful 1988, Alan has worked connected a assortment of projects successful his clip here, from Age of Empires, to Brute Force arsenic the workplace caput of Digital Anvil, to the founding of Turn 10. Over the years, Alan, Turn 10 and Playground Games delivered 13 Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon games, building Forza into 1 of the apical racing franchises successful the world and regularly pushing the capabilities of our hardware. His activity to beforehand accessibility successful gaming has group a benchmark for the manufacture and nether his leadership, Xbox Game Studios has shipped aggregate critically acclaimed titles this twelvemonth and group the shape for highly anticipated games for illustration Avowed, South of Midnight, Fable, and more.
When seeking our adjacent leader to navigate the complexities of our business and foster the productivity needed for our games to thrive, we collaborated pinch HR to measure some outer and soul candidates, considering the unsocial demands of the XGS role.
I americium pleased to denote that Craig Duncan will presume the domiciled of Head of Xbox Game Studios. Craig brings a wealthiness of acquisition from his tenure astatine Codemasters, Midway Games, and Sumo Digital earlier joining Xbox successful 2011 to lead Rare. During this time, Rare has achieved sustained business occurrence and developed caller IP, astir notably the ever-evolving Sea of Thieves, a cross-platform franchise pinch complete 40 cardinal players.
In his caller role, Craig will proceed to attraction connected helping our studios present high-quality, differentiated crippled experiences that tin turn into successful franchises and scope much players by investing successful caller IP. Craig will study to maine and subordinate the Game Content and Studios activity team, moving intimately pinch Alan during the transition. The existing XGS activity squad Alan established will stay intact and study to Craig.
I americium besides pleased to denote that Joe Neate and Jim Horth will return complete arsenic co-leads of Rare. Their activity has played a important domiciled successful Rare’s growth, and I americium assured they will elevate the workplace and its games to moreover greater heights.
Please subordinate maine successful congratulating Alan connected his status and welcoming Craig, Joe, and Jim into their caller roles.
Matt