The DeanBeat: How Zynga snared Xbox boss Don Mattrick as its CEO

The kingmaker has struck again.

Bing Gordon, the former Electronic Arts chief creative officer and Zynga board member, introduced his former colleague, Don Mattrick, to Zynga’s CEO and founder, Mark Pincus. It happened a few years ago, and Gordon made it clear to Mattrick that Pincus was something special in the new world of gaming. Gordon felt like Pincus had the right vision and strategy for the future of games. As Zynga grew into a social gaming giant, Pincus and Mattrick began to talk regularly.