Xbox launches XP division for film, merchandise and events – new Mojang chief
Microsoft is bundling film and TV projects, merchandise, live events and partnerships for its game brands. Mojang president Kayleen Walters moves to lead the new unit.
Archive image · Photo: Microsoft / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Xbox has set up a new division called XP to handle everything beyond games. It covers four areas: Xbox Pictures for film and TV adaptations, Xbox Products for merchandise and licensing, Xbox Places for live events and immersive experiences, and Xbox Partnerships for collaborations with brands and creators. Xbox announced the move on 8 October.
XP will be led by Kayleen Walters, until now president of Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft. She was an executive producer of A Minecraft Movie. The new head of Mojang and Minecraft is Maria Angelidou-Smith, most recently chief product officer at Reddit and previously in a senior role at Facebook. According to Inven Global, she takes office on 19 October. Both report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Game Developer reports.
According to Game Developer, projects connected to the new division include the Fallout series with Amazon, an animated Diablo series, BlizzCon and the fan event Minecraft Live. Xbox aims to market its brands more strongly beyond games.