Microsoft CEO candidate Stephen Elop said to consider selling Xbox business, killing Bing?

DOOM

TXB Alumni, 2001-2013
Sep 12, 2013
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Bloomberg also suggests that Elop is willing to shut down or sell some major Microsoft businesses. Elop would reportedly considering killing off the company’s Bing search engine, while contemplating selling the Xbox business. Some investors and analysts have previously called for the software giant to split off its Xbox business and give up on search. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen appears to feel the same way. Allen’s $15 billion asset manager, Paul Ghaffari, revealed recently that Bing and Xbox have been distractions for Microsoft. "My view is there are some parts of that operation they should probably spin out, get rid of, to focus on the enterprise and focus on the cloud." Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund claims Microsoft’s financial earnings could be boosted by 40 percent in fiscal 2015 if the company sold its Bing and Xbox businesses.
Is this even possible, I seriously hope NOT!
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...andidate-elop-said-to-mull-windows-shift.html
 
It's known that someone on MS's board of directors (big stockholder basically) wants to get rid of Xbox division.

Business news sources have taken that and run with it.

It seems pretty unlikely to happen. Not sure who would even buy it.. and MS wouldn't just kill it, too much invested.
 
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Doubt it would happen. It's microsofts only truly successful consumer product they have had in the last roughly 15 years hardware wise.
 
"Elop’s assumption is that Microsoft could create more value by maximizing sales of Office rather than by using it to prop up sales of Windows-based devices, said two of the people with knowledge of his thinking."

The whole article is just un named people speculating. Seems like a journalist just trying to get new readers.
 
I guess this is what happens when a used car salesman takes over Microsoft as CEO.
 
I doubt they would come out and say via twitter or anywhere else "Yeah it's true".

That would hurt them business wise. How many people will buy a Xbox if they knew that MS will only support the brand for a little while before they kill it or sell it.

I'd like to think is not true but who knows.
 
As long as I can play the games I want to play, I don't really care who makes the hardware or what it's called. The Samsung X-Station 14 would be alright with me.
 
you know whose advice I'd take regarding billion dollar companies? A former Nokia head, that's who. If elop becomes CEO ill eat my pants. The only way I see it happening is if there is some behinds action with Nokia
 
I'd say as long as Gates is still head of the board I would think Xbox would be safe, no matter the CEO. I guess we'll have to see how the next year pans out.
 
You know what I was thinking....how great this rumor is for MS so close to the xbox ones launch.

I wonder who started it.
 
Who is responsible for Nokias collapse? Has Elop been Nokia CEO all these years?

There was a time, back when Blockbuster was one of the biggest franchise chains in the world, that Nokia was as well. In Europa Nokia was all dominating and it was the weird people who had an "Erricsson"(later Sony Erricson).
 
I think he's just not used to people buying a gaming device (Nokia NGage). It scares him.
 
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I feel this is a stunt to hurt xbox one launch, getting people to not trust the company with such rumor.

What perfect timing, really.
 
Any CEO that MSoft will be hiring won't be saying they are selling the Xbox brand as part of their strategy to expand the footprint of MSoft in the consumer market. MSoft has paid the entry fee into the video games market and is now starting to see profitable returns. Any CEO that would get rid of a brand where the costs are sunk and is now profitable should never be hired.

This is the same mentality that just saw twitter gain a $25 billion dollar value without ever having any kind of sellable product or service other than data.
 
I feel this is a stunt to hurt xbox one launch, getting people to not trust the company with such rumor.

What perfect timing, really.

And it comes just a day after Sony saw its stock fall even further..........
I sense a disturbance in the force. Could Sony investment insiders be planting FUD to keep their stake in a dying company afloat?
 
Elop is part of Balmer's boy's club...If Balmer has a vision for Xbox then Elop will certainly be furthering that image; Bloomberg is just spreading fiction.
 
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Man GAF wont let this one go..im so hoping the X1 does well,just to piss them off.
 
They are like hungry Piranhas lol, Bet that by the end of the next generation they will have flipped again and be s***ting on Sony for stupid stuff.

Won't it be Nintendo's turn by then? Or will they get the Super Wii U out early enough that the Super Wii U 64 won't fall into the next generation's c**kfight? ;)
 
Won't it be Nintendo's turn by then? Or will they get the Super Wii U out early enough that the Super Wii U 64 won't fall into the next generation's c**kfight? ;)
lol probably, but even with the Wii I don't think they had much focus, fanboy console wars seem to only include Sony and MS
 
I think it was all a careful "leak" of info from Elop to increase his chances as CEO. I highly doubt he would support such things as he is the major proponent behind Nokia bucking potential multi-market money by staying WP exclusive. I think he would embrace MS in the direction it has been moving.
 
Xbox name is a really well thought of name ...I doubt they dump it.
 
The vast majority of MS's operating income is in Windows licenses, Android royalties, Office, and backend server software. Xbox, windows phones, and surface tablets are a small amount of their business, which thus far have only managed to lose a lot of money. Windows 8 isn't selling well either due to unpopular interface changes.

It's not surprising at least a few major MS shareholders see MS's consumer hardware division as a blot of red ink. We could see a big product shakeup with a new CEO. I don't see MS giving up Xbox that easily, though. They are going to see this gen through by cutting costs, price drops, and building up exclusive games.