John Schappert to Head Microsoft Interactive Entertainment LIVE, Software and Services Businesses

Longtime Electronic Arts veteran to join Microsoft in a newly created

position.

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    REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today
 announced that John Schappert, most recently executive vice president at
 Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), will be joining the Microsoft Interactive
 Entertainment Business (IEB) in a newly created position as corporate vice
 president of LIVE, software and services.
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
     Schappert's latest role in central development services at EA included
 oversight of central technology, operations, EA online and the office of
 the chief creative officer. Previously, Schappert held several senior-level
 positions at EA including chief operating officer of worldwide studios,
 group general manager, and general manager of EA Canada and EA Tiburon. He
 will be joining Microsoft as a corporate vice president running the LIVE,
 software and services group. Schappert will report to Don Mattrick, the
 newly named senior vice president of IEB, which includes the Xbox 360(TM)
 and Games for Windows(R) businesses.
     "I am thrilled to have John join the deep bench of proven talent
 already on Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business," Mattrick said.
 "John's expertise will help us focus on expanding and enriching our market
 leadership with LIVE in areas like online services while broadening our
 audience. John will also build on the great work already happening in the
 developer community working with Chris Satchell and the XNA organization."
     Schappert will oversee Xbox LIVE(R), a business that continues to
 thrive with more than 7 million members across 25 countries. The online
 entertainment network offers instant messaging, voice, video and text chat,
 Xbox LIVE Arcade and hundreds of multiplayer games, free and premium
 playable game demos, music videos, and TV shows and movies in the United
 States. Schappert will also oversee Games for Windows - LIVE, XNA(TM) and
 Microsoft(R) Casual Games, which offers more than 400 games via MSN(R)
 Games, Windows LIVE(TM) Messenger, Windows games and Xbox LIVE Arcade.
     "With these changes, we are dedicated to providing our customers, our
 partners and our employees with value, quality and high-performing teams,"
 Mattrick said.
     Schappert founded Florida-based Tiburon Entertainment in 1994, which
 was acquired by EA four years later. In his gaming career, Schappert has
 overseen the creation of hundreds of games for EA, including the
 best-selling "Madden NFL" football franchise on which he worked originally
 as a programmer.
     Founded in 1975, Microsoft ( MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
 software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
 their full potential.
 
 

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.