Report: Microsoft closing Massive

Massive Inc is Microsoft’s in-game advertising outfit which they bought in 2006 at a figure rumoured to be between $200 - 400m. That’s a big ouch.

Now they want to shut it down and will do so shortly having failed to sell it on. Lacklustre revenues and Xbox Live’s success behind the decision.

Staff within Massive Inc are being shipped off to other departments with manager J.J. Richards seeking employment elsewhere according to a source. Microsoft had been seeking a buyer for Massive Inc but no one wanted it, even for a low 6 figure price.

Xbox Live has skyrocketed to profit with over 25m subscribers around the world, whereas Massive Inc’s prediction of a $2bn in-game ad market never materialised. Allegedly the Xbox executive team had been against the deal at the time.