Apple Inc. (AAPL) Hires Former Xbox Live Marketing Executive to Push iPhone / iPad Gaming

AAPL Push iPhone iPad Games

Following the release of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, Apple Inc. (AAPL) experienced heavy adoption of its first smartphone, leading to the release of the second generation phone. After initial support for web apps AAPL also announced the App Store, which revolutionized the landscape of gaming on mobile devices. Many third-party app developers created apps tailored to the iPhone and iPod touch, and gave the iOS platform boost and rival with Nintendo, Microsoft, and other gaming platforms.

On Thursday, it was revealed that Apple has hired former Xbox Live marketing executive to help grow iPad and iPhone gaming initiative. With an update to his LinkedIn profile, Microsoft Marketing Manager for Xbox UK, Robin Burrowes, revealed that he has been hired to help push gaming on iPhone and iPad to further success.

Burrowes tenure at Microsoft saw him work on Xbox for roughly seven years, where he was most recently responsible for all product, business and marketing management of Xbox LIVE in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. For Apple, he’s the latest in a series of high-profile British gaming recruits, following the hire of Nintendo’s public relation’s chief Robert Saunders last year, as well as Nick Grange — who also at one point ran public relations for Xbox, as well as for gaming heavyweights Activision and Electronics Arts.

Microsoft released the Xbox 360 and took over a large percentage of the consale gaming market, with services such as Xbox Live. Apple gave the company some competition with the iPhone 3G and the App Store and has now hired one of Microsoft’s employees to try and get Apple even higher share in the gaming market.

Apple currently has over 550,000 apps in the App Store, 20% of which are games, making the hiring of Burrowes an obvious choice for Apple. iPads, iPhones, and iPods are gaining traction in the mobile gaming market, being considered portable gaming platforms, competing against other systems such as the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable.

{via iMore}

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