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Microsoft Picks Up Former Steam Head Jason Holtman
Former head of Valve's Steam distribution platform Jason Holtman has a new home. He's recently taken a position with Microsoft focused on the PC side of the gaming equation.
During his eight-year tenure leading Steam, Holtman was responsible for managing relationships with developers. He departed the company in February of this year at the same time as other notable employees. That group included Jeri Ellsworth, who was brought on to work on hardware.
Holtman brings with him developer and publisher relationships that could benefit Microsoft greatly. His history with digital distribution, and navigating prickly DRM situations (like the one facing Steam in the platform's early days) also fill needs in Microsoft's skill set.
We've reached out to Microsoft for more information on what Holtman will be working on.
[Source: GamesIndustry International]
Our Take
The Games for Windows platform has been struggling, and Holtman brings a lot to the table thanks to his PC gaming experience. He also has a history of smartly navigating very challenging PR situations, and Microsoft has been slowly crawling out of the hole it dug for itself at the May reveal and then at E3. Having someone like Holtman on board sends a strong message, and it also hints that Microsoft hasn't abandoned its push for an all-digital future.
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