Don Mattrick, the man who introduced the world to the Xbox One, is leaving Microsoft to replace Mark Pincus as the CEO of social gaming leviathan Zynga.

"I've always said to Bing [Gordon] and our Board that if I could find someone who could do a better job as our CEO, I'd do all I could to recruit and bring that person in," Pincus said in a note to his employees. "I'm confident that Don is that leader.

"Don is unique in the game business. He can execute in multiple domains - hardware, software and network - and he's been the person responsible for game franchises like Need for Speed, FIFA, and The Sims."

Ex-Xbox head Mattrick also wrote a letter to his new company employees, stating that he feels Zynga "has yet to realise its full potential".

"I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark's pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started," he said. "Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I'm proud to partner with Mark to deliver high-quality, fun, social games wherever people want to play."

Steve Ballmer also addressed Mattrick's departure in a note to Microsoft employees:

"This is a great opportunity for Don, and I wish him success," Ballmer said. "Don's directs will report to me and will continue to drive the day-to-day business as a team, particularly focused on shipping Xbox One this holiday...Thank you, Don, for setting us on a path to completely redefine the entertainment industry. The strong leadership team at [Interactive Entertainment Business] and their teams are well positioned to deliver the next-generation entertainment console, as well as transformative entertainment experiences, long into the future." [AllThingsD]