In an update to his LinkedIn profile, Microsoft Marketing Manager for Xbox UK, Robin Burrowes, let the world know that he’s been hired by Apple to push iPhone and iPad gaming even further.

Burrowes tenure at Microsoft saw him work on Xbox for roughly seven years, where he was most recently responsible for all product, business and marketing management of Xbox LIVE in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. For Apple, he’s the latest in a series of high-profile British gaming recruits, following the hire of Nintendo’s public relation’s chief Robert Saunders last year, as well as Nick Grange — who also at one point ran public relations for Xbox, as well as for gaming heavyweights Activision and Electronics Arts.

Microsoft came out of nowhere with the Xbox to take a significant share of the console gaming market, especially when it comes to hardcore gamers and multiplayer gaming with services like Xbox Live. Apple has seen enormous success in the mobile gaming sector after creating the App Store for iOS 2 and the iPhone 3G in 2008. Now they, along with Google’s Android platform, have overtaken the likes of Sony and Nintendo when it comes to U.S. portable game software by revenue.

With Apple’s last count of 550,000 apps in the App Store, and around 20% of those being games, it’s not hard to see why Apple considers it important enough to hire a key gaming manager like Burrowes.

iPhones and iPads are increasingly this generations’ portable gaming platforms of choice.

Source: Robin Burrowes via 148apps.biz via AppleInsider

Microsoft is planning to bring more Xbox Live gaming to Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, as well as Google’s Android platform.

“While the Xbox Live experiences and games always work best on the Windows platform, we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices. To satisfy that need, we are working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms.”

All of Microsoft’s current XBox efforts have done well on iOS and Microsoft isn’t exactly a company to leave to money on the table or avoid recognition, it’s another avenue for both of those things if Microsoft puts the effort into it. No mention was made of when we could expect to see these efforts put into to place but if we had to wager a guess, we’d bet it’s not all that far off.

Given that Microsoft’s Windows Phone is still — as some would say — ‘ramping up’, it only seems logical that Microsoft would target iOS and Android users as well, especially considering the market share Apple and Google have in the mobile space.

Microsoft has already made a small foray on iOS with the release of My XBox Live and Kinectimals, but who knows what could be next. Halo, anyone?

• Source: Forbes

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

• If you had to choose between one device for the streaming of content which would you choose? An Xbox 360 or Apple TV?

• Google and Samsung unveiled the successor to the Nexus One, the Nexus S. What are you thoughts about this device?

• How many applications do you currently have on your iPhone or other iOS device?

• It’s pretty obvious that a new iPad is on the horizon, the big question to current iPad owners is, will you upgrade once the new one is released?

See you in the forums!

If you are a big online gamer and own a Xbox, 360 Live [$1.99 - iTunes Link] is the app for you. There are many apps within the App Store that perform many of the same functions as 360 Live but none of them are this well integrated.

• Sign in securely using your Xbox Live credentials. 360 Live automatically retrieves your friends.
• Complete Gamertags management. Add, remove, accept or reject pending requests.
• An organized Friends List. Grouped by status (Online, Offline, etc.)
• Gamer Profile and details including gamerscore, bio, location, country, gamercard, avatar, etc.
• Check your friends complete games history.
• Compare locked and unlocked achievements per game and gamertag.
• Send and receive messages. You can even send messages to multiple recipients!
• Gamercard coverflow style carrousel on landscape mode!

The only negative that I’ve seen testing this app out is that at times, it can take some time to load. Hopefully that is cleared up with an update or two and if it is, this will be hands down the best Xbox Live companion piece.

MVC (via MacRumors) is claiming that Microsoft’s head of Xbox Business Insights and Strategy, Richard Teversham, is leaving to join Apple.

With the unbelievable success of iPhone and iPod touch gaming, could Apple finally be taking the space seriously? Or could this be part of some bigger move, one involving those chipset buyouts, licenses, and hires we recapped earlier? Could Apple be working on…

… A Pippin Take 2?

Yeah, more likely iPhone, maybe iTablet, maybe even Mac gaming, but that next gen hardware power might just give the consoles a run for their money anyway…