Marc Whitten, 14-year Xbox veteran, departs Microsoft

In an announcement posted on its Xbox Wire blog, Microsoft says that longtime Xbox man, chief product officer Marc Whitten, is leaving the company to take the same role at wireless speaker manufacturer Sonos. Whitten launched the original Xbox in 2001, and also the Xbox 360 in 2005. “Marc played a pivotal role in building the Xbox business over the last 14 years ... Marc has built a very strong and passionate team that has delivered innovative technology for game and entertainment fans," marketing VP Yusuf Mehdi wrote in the post. "It’s incredibly tough to leave but I am confident the best days are ahead for Xbox fans, in the capable hands of a very talented team," wrote Whitten. It seems the chief product officer role may have been eliminated, as the post says that the Xbox executive team will otherwise remain "intact" and now report directly to Terry Myerson, "executive vice president that oversees the teams building the software platform and experiences for Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox." The company recently went through a significant reorganization.