The Last Xbox Founder Resigns From Microsoft

It is apparently the end of an era, as Otto Berkes - the final member of the four-person Xbox founding team has - left Microsoft.

According to The Seattle Times, Otto Berkes has ended his 18-year career at Microsoft on Monday. The current partner hardware architect for Bing is apparently joining “for another company outside of the Seattle area.”

Otto Berkes – with Ted Hase, Kevin Bachus and Seamus Blackey – sent the first proposal for the Xbox game console in March 1999. It wasn’t long until the team had Bill Gates and most of the company’s heads on board with the project. After two and a half years, the original Xbox made its official debut.

In June 1993, Otto Berkes first joined Microsoft as a graphics technology developer. Aside from helping to create the Xbox, he was one of the people behind the ill-starred Courier tablet device and also has worked with former Microsoft Chief Software Architect, Ray Ozzie.