Phil Spencer named new head of Xbox division

Microsoft has announced that Phil Spencer is going to take over as head of its Xbox division.

The firm's CEO Satya Nadella announced the news earlier this morning in an internal email to employees.

"I have asked Phil Spencer to take on a new role leading Xbox, combining the Xbox and Xbox Live development teams with the Microsoft Studios team. Phil will report to Terry Myerson, allowing us to keep gaming close to the group developing operating systems across devices," the email read.

Spencer said in a new message to the community published on Xbox Wire, "Our community is at the heart of what we do at Xbox. Whether it is meeting thousands of fans at the launch of Xbox One, talking at industry events or hearing from gamers on Twitter and Xbox Live, I am actively listening and I am motivated to do what’s right for fans who've invested their time, hearts and money in the products we build. You have been the most important part of the success Xbox has had to-date and you are a critical voice as we continue the journey.

"I am incredibly proud of the talented Xbox employees around the world and believe, like they do, in the power of technology to bring games and entertainment to life across console, PC, tablet and mobile devices. It’s been a remarkable year for Xbox and I am honored to lead the team at this incredible time for Microsoft and the games industry," he added.

Spencer will be taking over the entirety of the Xbox division, including Microsoft Studios-which he was head of, Xbox Live, Xbox Music and Xbox Video.

Yusuf Mehdi will continue to lead the business strategy and marketing for Xbox, Mike Angiulo will oversee Xbox hardware and George Peckham will deal with third-party partnerships.