Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes

Microsoft’s new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, has spent the past couple of months making her mark on the Xbox organization. After focusing on highly-requested Xbox console features, reducing the price of Game Pass , and moving Microsoft Gaming back to Xbox , Sharma is now reorganizing the Xbox platform team at Microsoft today. The changes will see some veterans depart, promotions, and new faces with more technical expertise to help the Xbox platform team. Jared Palmer, who used to work with Sharma in Microsoft’s CoreAI division, is joining Xbox as VP of engineering and a technical advisor to Sharma. In a memo to Xbox employees, seen by The Verge , Sharma says that Palmer will work “directly with me on our most complex product and engineering problems, with a focus on developer tooling, taste, and infrastructure.” Tim Allen, former Microsoft CoreAI VP of design and GitHub’s senior VP of design and research, is also joining Xbox to lead design. Sharma says Allen’s appointment is the “first time bringing together product design, design engineering, research, and creative with a fan-first focus.” Jonathan McKay, former head of growth at Microsoft’s CoreAI division, is also joining Xbox to lead its growth, data platform, and analytics. …