Microsoft to shake up Entertainment Group, J Allard and Robbie Bach out

By on May 25, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Breaking May 25, 2010

J AllardIt looks like Microsoft is doing a little spring cleaning in their beleaguered Entertainment Group, as a just announced corporate shake up aims to keep the Redmond company nimble enough to compete with Google and Apple in the mobile device and entertainment product spaces. The biggest moves see Chief Technology Officer of the Entertainment Group, J Allard — whose Courier project was recently axed — and Robbie Bach, the same groups President, leaving the company. Allard, who has been on sabbatical from Microsoft for quite some time, was in charge of several high profile projects — including the Zune and Xbox — will stay on as a consultant; Bach will be leaving the company completely. What say you? What changes/products would you like to see Microsoft’s Entertainment Group make?

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  • Perspective

    Oh, I don’t know. . .the occasional decent product would be nice. Please don’t give mr this Xbox360 crap either. . .I’m currently on my third console (yet I’ve had only one PS3 and one Wii. In fact, never before has a console failed on me).

    • Chris13

      Yet you’re on your THIRD 360. So they must have done SOMETHING RIGHT for you to splurge on 3.

      And before you think I’m being a jerk… I’m on my 3rd too and I’ll still tell you Mr this Xbox 360 crap. I love my Xbox.

      • Keymaker

        Yeah but you have to admit that the hardware sucks. I too love my Xbox360 and i think it’s the best gaming platform out there but i also think they could have done a better job on the hardware cause it sucks.

  • droid

    2nd

  • Ethan

    Quick lets beat the “dead horse” (aka RRoD) with a stick for the millionth time.

  • YAZombie

    Not a product, no. An announcement would be nice: “in an effort to reorganize the company towards more efficiency and class, MS has thanked Steve Ballmer for his many years of service as Head of Vulgarity and Distaste”.
    Now, THAT would be a nice move…

  • mangenius

    I would like to see the Surface become mainstream and be able to integrate into the office and home environment.

    I think that product has so much potential.

    A lot of people can download movies but they dont get the hard cover case with inserts etc.. imagine being able to continue building a library all stored on your coffee table. I know this is just a very small concept but the possibilities are amazing.

  • Jarrett

    I was an admirer of Allard, Bach (the original fake Steve Jobs) not so much. Good management move by Ballmer from a business side of things. Let us pretend for a moment that Allard was really that pissed about the Courier’s cancelation, Ballmer can in no way keep him with the company because he was too attached to a project. Moving Allard forward might have been doable, but surely he would have been less effective with still feeling like his child was killed.
    Bach “retiring” as it is being called is another matter all together. Twenty two years this gentleman put in at the company, helped deploy some “new” things (although we still don’t have Natal damn it) but looking forward you have to get someone in there for the next twenty two years.
    Look, I don’t like Microsoft because they are a third rate product producer. They always have been and always will be. From a business perspective though very few companies have been that successful for that long. Microsoft knows their core business very well and that business is to throw money at things until they stick and become profitable. Sure the EDD is a break even game but that is better than the loser it used to be. Search still loses and so does the mobile arm. Microsoft will continue to throw money and them both and eventually they will make a profit. Unfortunately for Microsoft they will in no way be the huge profit machine (70% profit margins) like Windows and Office. At this point though Microsoft doesn’t need huge generators of cash, they already have them.

    Apple’s turn around to the new #1 didn’t happen over night and only took place because of some sound business management. Obviously Microsoft isn’t in the death kneel that Apple was, but firing the old to bring in the new is the only way to bring about new opportunities for your shareholders. For those of you who don’t understand business, shareholders are the people corporations care about.

    Cheers

    • Chris13

      Not choosing any sides here, just wanted to give this perspective: Apple’s “turnaround” had nothing to do with long-term productivity… Apple’s “turnaround” simply rested on the shoulders of ONE device: The Ipod…and every successful product AFTER it is really just an updated variation of what started it. More than half of the so-called fanboys don’t even own a Mac, never even used one. What Apple’s proved, and what MS also proved w/ the 360, is that all it takes is ONE special product and you too can be #1.

      This is why the death of the Courier is one of the worst decisions they ever made.

      Also, I don’t get your Natal comment… you AREN’T supposed to have Natal yet. 4th Qtr 2010… everyone’s known that for a year now. How you gonna make that comment in 2nd qtr 2010? Or am I missing some new Natal news I haven’t heard?

      • Jarrett

        @ Chris13,

        My comment on Natal has to do with the fact that R&D for this product began 20 years ago. That is my problem with Natal. Get it done and get it shipped already.
        You angle on why Apple changed course is right and wrong. When Jobs returned to the company he trimmed the products to four from around twenty. That is where things began to change. By doing this it allowed the company to focus on the parts of the industry they knew well, desktop publishing, education and the “faithful”. Jobs statement in 1998 to the engineering ranks was this, “In ten years Apple will be one of the largest consumer electronics companies on the planet. Your idea that only the iPod changed their fortunes shows little research. In the last ten years Apple has routinely gained with Mac shipments. They are basically selling three million a quarter now. Sure, when other companies sell ten million PC’s a quarter what is the big deal? The big deal is that I can remember when Apple wasn’t shipping one million a quarter while Dell/HP and whoever else at times were selling ten million. The problem for HP and other is that their numbers are really just the same as they were, not really much growth. Apple has tripled the amount of Macs that they are shipping each quarter. Apple’s retail stores are another huge benefit to the rebounding of Apple’s fortunes.
        As for the courier I agree with you thoughts. The same thing that benefited Microsoft in the 90′s is the same thing that hampers them today, too many partners. Apple is showing that vertical integration can work with the right amount of partners. Say Microsoft went forward with the Courier, how are their partners suppose to feel good about making a tablet that is only going to compete with Microsoft’s own tablet. Do you remember “PlayForSure”? The partners loved the idea, they thought for sure that Microsoft would lead them to the win over iPod for sure. Then Microsoft got the idea for the Zune and neither Microsoft or it’s partners have won anything with the move. Point, Microsoft makes a shit ton of money, so does Apple. Microsoft will never again have a dominant product. Windows and Office will keep Microsoft gigantic but the companies growth days are over. Literally, they are the new IBM.

  • chompdawg

    I suspect Roz Ho of KIN fame will be left to pick up the pieces. She should go too, but she has given so much fellatio to upper management that can’t dump her.
    Allard and Bach being dumped because of the dismal KIN, Windows phone 7 and ZUNE.

  • http://zevkli.in zevkli in

    Not a product, no. An announcement would be nice: “in an effort to reorganize the company towards more efficiency and class, MS has thanked Steve Ballmer for his many years of service as Head of Vulgarity and Distaste”.
    Now, THAT would be a nice move…

  • http://www.giways.com giways

    i think Xbox is too dear

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