Larry Hreib, Major Nelson on Xbox, leaves Microsoft

Larry Hreib, better known as “Major Nelson” in Xbox circles, to babble Today, he will leave Microsoft. Hreib spent many years as one of the brand’s most prominent public faces as programming director for Xbox Live. He did not give his reasons for leaving the company but said he planned to step back and work on the next chapter of his career. The move comes as Microsoft attempts to complete its $68 billion purchase of Activision. “As I take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve done together, I want to thank the millions of gamers around the world who have included me in their lives,” Hraib said.

Hreib spent more than two decades at Microsoft, joining the company as editor of MSN Music in 2001. But it was in 2003, when he joined the Xbox division, that he found his identity with the company. His public role was a mixture of official employee and super fan. His blog posts, podcasts, interviews, unboxing, and various other updates have straddled the line between marketer and trusted “gamer,” helping fans feel like they have one. theirs at the gaming giant.

Xbox hasn’t used him as the face of the company in recent years, but at least from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, “Major Nelson” was practically synonymous with the platform. he says I have the drive handle and generic title of Larry Hagman’s character in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie – after being recommended to him by TiVo.

Hreib has yet to detail what his next career chapter will be. However, he noticed that The Official Xbox Podcast, which he hosted, will go on hiatus this summer and return later “in a new format.”