Adam Orth, the Microsoft Studios creative director who came under fire for controversial comments on "always-on" consoles, has left the company. The news was first reported by Game Informer, and Polygon has independently confirmed his departure with two sources. It's unclear, however, whether Orth was fired or left his position voluntarily. Microsoft declined to comment to Polygon, saying "We do not comment on private personnel matters."





Orth tweeted that he didn't "get the drama" over rumors that the upcoming Xbox would require an internet connection to start games, comparing the situation to buying a vacuum cleaner knowing that the electricity might go out, or owning a cellphone in an area with bad reception. The issue has come to a head recently with always-on PC games such as SimCity and Diablo III suffering crammed servers and protracted outages upon launch. Microsoft later issued a statement apologizing for Orth's tweet and clarifying that he was not a company spokesperson.