BigPark was formed in 2007 by a group of industry veterans formerly of Distinctive Software and Electronic Arts Canada. One of the founders was Don Mattrick, who went on to become the senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, so they might as well go ahead and collect the whole set. The team is currently working on an exclusive Xbox 360 game, and will continue working on said exclusive Xbox 360 game...just a bit more exclusively now.

"We are delighted by the opportunity to welcome the BigPark team into Microsoft Game Studios," said Phil Spencer, general manager, Microsoft Game Studios. "The team is composed of some of the most experienced and creative minds working in the industry today. The combination of the BigPark and Microsoft Game Studios talent pools will be an accelerant for growth and innovation. We believe BigPark has tremendous potential to create new properties and innovative gaming experiences for our platforms, one of which we're looking forward to showcasing at the E3 Expo in June."

BigPark CEO and co-founder Hanno Lemke will report directly to Spencer as the company continues to develop whatever it is they are developing. The answers to these questions and more will be revealed at E3 2009. Just consider this a pre-show preparatory purchase.

Mattrick: I’m claiming to have invented avatars! I did 4D Sports Boxing! Do you know what 4D Boxing was? Hey, you should be writing this! That was me.

Official Xbox Magazine: We know what 4D Sports Boxing was. It was published by Infogrames, wasn’t it?

DM: Accolade was the first to publish it, and Infogrames published it in Europe. But write this down! “Don Mattrick invented avatars for the industry.”

OXM: Does creating 4D Sports Boxing really count as “inventing avatars”, Don?

DM: C’mon! It’s human, it’s in 3D, it has a face… it was genuinely the first time there was something human-shaped in 3D! Look it up!

Pretty sure I know what's going on here. By winking and nodding and making such a ridiculous claim, he's really saying that something as broad as the concept of an avatar really can't be "invented" or considered an experience associated with a single console. Ergo, there is no legitimate criticism of Microsoft doing a typical copycat act, this time of Nintendo's Miis, when the New Xbox Experience goes out Nov. 19. Again, that is my interpretation, not his stated words.

But, Al Gore invented the Internet, John McCain invented the Blackberry, and Don Mattrick invented avatars. At last our trinity is complete.

Interview: Don Mattrick "Invented Avatars" [Official Xbox Magazine via videogaming247]

I'm not at a point where I can say we're going to beat Nintendo... We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony.

Microsoft and Sony battle it out to the death for... the number 2 slot? Some console war.

Microsoft Will Cut Xbox Prices in the U.S. [Business Week via VG247]

The key word there is this ‘lifecycle’ or ‘this generation’. As you probably know, we’re working on a ten-year lifecycle, we’ve said that since day one and we’ve proven it with PSOne and PS2. I guess Don is saying they’re also going to be embarking on a ten-year lifecycle, then? If they are then that’s terrific, but I’ve never seen them manage it before. Last time I checked, the Xbox went by the wayside four or five years after launch.

Last time I checked, the Xbox went by the wayside four or five years after launch. On the other hand, if he’s saying that Microsoft will outsell us after five years, if he calls that this generation, then he’s saying he’s going to exit the 360 business within five years. I’m not exactly sure when he says ‘this lifecycle’ or ‘this generation’ what standard he’s using — five years, 10 years, I don’t know.

Don Mattrick is obviously on Don Mattrick Time. You can't put a time-frame on DMT, you just can't.

Hirai on PS3... Pt. 1 [MCYVK]

Don Mattrick, the *deep breath* Senior Vice President of the Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, said in a statement that "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle." Microsoft also points out that it leads worldwide, with a 19 million strong install base and 12 million Xbox Live users.

Impressive numbers? Absolutely. Expect to hear "But we got there fastest, not first!" and/or "Not my problem!" any second now.

Xbox 360 First Gaming System to Reach 10 Million in U.S. Console Sales This Generation

Xbox LIVE tops 12 million members globally as Xbox 360 console sales hit more than 19 million worldwide.

REDMOND, Wash., May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has sold over 10 million units in the U.S., making it the first current-generation gaming console to break the 10 million mark in the U.S. The U.S. install base contributes to global sales of over 19 million, more than any other current-generation console.

"This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry."

This announcement comes on the heels of one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, "Grand Theft Auto IV," on April 29, 2008. Gamers eager to experience "Grand Theft Auto IV" online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features, and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year's time.

"Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership," said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. "Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base — 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations."

Xbox 360 leads with the industry's highest software attach rate, more than any other console this generation, and is home to the best-selling games. With the launch of "Grand Theft Auto IV" in April, Xbox 360 is now the home to more than 16 platinum titles that have sold through 1 million units or more, including hits such as "Halo 3," "Madden NFL 07" and "Madden NFL 08," "Gears of War," "Guitar Hero II" and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," and "Call of Duty® 2," Call of Duty 3" and "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," giving Xbox 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Wii and a 16:2 lead over the PlayStation 3 in game titles topping one million in sales. Games not only sell better on the Xbox 360, they play better, too: Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared with just 22 titles for Wii and 50 titles for PlayStation 3.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a portfolio of nearly 400 games in 37 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox LIVE connects more than 12 million of members across 37 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade, free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Lets get the obvious out of the way first, Bach is adamant that Moore's resignation from Microsoft had nothing to do with the recent announcement of an extended Xbox 360 warranty and the hardware malfunctions rearing its ugly head.

"This decision was directly related to him wanting to be in California," Bach said. "He was in California when we hired him, his kids grew up there... and it's where he and his family wants and needs to be right now. I think it's sometimes a tendency to think, 'oh gosh, it's something else, but there isn't any other reason.

"It's not tied at all (to the recent warranty announcement), it's not related. If you think about it, the timing's really more about the EA reorganization. They created the job and were looking for someone and Peter was evaluating his situation."

Bach said that Moore first came to him "awhile back" to tell him he might be leaving to go to EA, but that it's only been "weeks" since the details were locked in.

"Once we got to that point I started talking to Don and looking at what we would do," Bach said.

I asked Bach about the difficulties in replacing the man who has essentially been the face of the Xbox 360 since its launch. His response: Everyone, including Moore and Bach himself is replaceable.

"My guess is in a few months from now no one will be thinking about it."

Mattrick too was there, a bit low-key but that's understandable on the day his predecessor's retirement was announced. He was a bit taken aback, I think, when my first question was whether he was prepared to get ink for Microsoft.

"That wasn't the first thing on my to-do list," he said. "I understand the personal reasons for his decision, but I think the job he had was the best one to have in the industry.

"If a tattoo is necessary we can double back on that."

Don Mattrick may have resigned as head of Electronic Arts' Worldwide Studios back in 2005, but his heart never left the industry, and now he's back. In a phone call to Newsweek today, Peter Moore and Mattrick himself were on hand to announce his new position as a strategic advisor for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division.

Apparently, Moore and Mattrick had been in talks ever since he left EA, exploring a number of opportunities for the two to work together, and this is the arrangement that they came up with.

Loot: Don Mattrick, Former Head of Electronic Arts' Worldwide Studios, Joins Microsoft As a Strategic Adviser for Entertainment and Devices [N'Gai Croal's Level Up]