Microsoft's Xbox team seems to have snatched some talent from Nintendo to start off the year, as Damon Baker today announced on Twitter he is the new Head of Portfolio at Xbox. In December of last year, Baker announced that he would be leaving Nintendo after 12 years with the firm, but it wasn't clear where he was headed next.
Baker had become one of the more prominent Nintendo people in the past couple of years. Responsible for the Japanese company's indie relations, Baker was seen as one of the big driving forces behind the large number of indie games that arrived on the Switch since its launch. Nintendo's indie-focused video presentations for North America - called Nindies Showcase - were often hosted by Baker as well. In August of last year, however, Baker was replaced by Kirk Scott as presenter.
As Head of Portfolio at Xbox, Baker will have a somewhat similar role to his previous position, evaluating second- and third-party content towards Microsoft's strategy. Nintendo's approach to indie titles seems to have proven fruitful for the Switch, so the Xbox Team could have some exciting news going forward.
Microsoft has been snapping up a lot of talent for its Xbox division as of late. In 2018, the company added seven game studios to its portfolio, including Forza Horizon developer Playground Games. With all of these additional teams on board, the Xbox team could have some great announcements for the future.
Source: Damon Baker (Twitter) via Windows Central
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