BaZynga! Don Mattrick tried to buy Zynga while at Microsoft

According to a report by Bloomberg, former Microsoft head Don Mattrick tried purchase social games maker Zynga in 2010, with Mattrick negotiating with Zynga founder Mark Pincus in an effort to bolster Microsoft's Xbox lineup with social games. At the time, Zynga games were adding millions of users on Facebook each week. Obviously, a deal never came to fruition.

Mattrick recently announced that he is moving from Microsoft — following an Xbox One reveal that was rife with controversy — to become CEO of Zynga.

Zynga has been in a spiral since December 2011, with its stock plunging 66 percent in that time. Its games are no longer as popular as they were as more people play games on smartphones and tablets. In June, Zynga cut 18 percent of their workforce, resulting in an estimated $70 to $80 million in savings. In comparison, Don Mattrick will be earning a pay package of $19.3 million in stocks and cash during his first year.

Let's hope Mattrick is receiving most of that in cash, considering its an uphill up-mountain battle to turn Zynga around. Even though Mattrick is CEO, Pincus will continue to have the final say and be in control. Dude needs to let go.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com

[Bloomberg]