Bella Sara Online Gets Microsoft Vet for SVP

Hidden City Games has selected Microsoft veteran Joshua Howard as the new senior vice president of Bella Sara Online. Hidden City, which received $15 million in funding in November, operates the horse-themed virtual world for girls with a collectible card tie-in. While it started as simply a card series, the world has become more and more interactive, and now also supports a toy line. Howard will oversee the online component, which has drawn 1.6 million registered users.  He brings 15 years of experience at Microsoft with a focus on games, most recently as group manager for Carbonated Games,an in-house casual game studio, and formerly as lead program manager for MSN Games/Zone.com. "Joshua Howard, with his experience running a casual games studio and perspective as a father of two girls, is a clear choice to lead the evolution of BellaSara.com. BellaSara.com captures the magic of the brand in a safe and engaging experience, and Howard will expand it into a robust online destination rich in features and fun,”  Peter D. Adkison, CEO of Hidden City Games, said in a statement.