Former Xbox boss wanted Microsoft to buy Zynga before leaving to become Zynga’s CEO

Microsoft Zynga Acquisition
Microsoft Zynga Acquisition

Before Don Mattrick surprised everyone with the announcement that he was leaving Microsoft to join Zynga as its CEO, the former Xbox boss was reportedly interested in acquiring the social gaming company. According to Bloomberg, Mattrick met with Zynga founder and then CEO Mark Pincus in 2010 about Microsoft potentially purchasing the company. Microsoft was reportedly interested in bolstering the Xbox’s social gaming offerings, however negotiations eventually broke down. Since then, Zynga filed for an initial public offering in December of 2011 and has seen its share price decline by more than 60%. To make matters worse, gamers are also spending less time playing the company’s games. Mattrick, who begins his role as chief executive at Zynga on Monday, faces a number of challenges as he looks to turn the company around.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com