Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard said this morning that it has hired a new CFO. The firm said that Dennis Durkin has been named Chief Financial Officer, and will report to CEO Bobby Kotick. Durkin was most recently Corporate Vice President, Chief Operating and Financial Officer of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, which is in charge of Microsoft's Xbox game controller. He also has served at Alex. Brown and Company. Durkin takes over for interim CFO Thomas Tippl, who has held the position--in addition to Chief Operating Officer--since 2010. Tippl remains COO.