Microsoft Promotes Bryan Trussel To XBLA Manager

Following this morning's news that Xbox Live Arcade group manager Greg Canessa has joined casual game studio PopCap, a Microsoft spokesperson has told Gamasutra that former Casual Games executive Bryan Trussel will take his place in the interim. Trussel's new role as Live Arcade group manager comes simultaneously with a promotion to Microsoft's director of Platform Game Services, where he will oversee management of Live Arcade as the company seeks a replacement group manager. In addition to Live Arcade, Trussel will also be overseeing Microsoft's casual game platforms, including MSN Games and Windows Live Messenger Games. Microsoft representatives note that Trussel is being promoted from his former role as group manager for 'expanding platforms' in the Microsoft Casual Games group, where he was responsible for bringing 'the casual gaming experience to new platforms and devices.' Trussel has been with Microsoft Game Studios for five years, and has been with the company itself since 1991, where he worked on the development of Windows 3.0, as well as follow-up work on Microsoft Interactive Television, Windows CE, Sega Dreamcast, and many games, including Age of Mythology and Hexic. Microsoft also says Trussel was 'deeply involved' in the conceptual and implementation stages of the original Xbox Live Arcade project as group program manager.