Peter Moore Resigns from Microsoft, Joins EA Sports

[bapenguin]

Here is a shocker. No. Really...this is shocking. Peter Moore after a massive media blitz last week at E3 has resigned from Microsoft to take another position within the industry. It's been rumored that he will be taking a role at Electronic Arts.

Taking his place is Don Mattrick, an industry veteran and former president of Electronic Arts.

Update: Peter is definitely joining EA Sports and heading up that division according to IGN (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/805/805708p1.html).

Full press Release inside.

Damn...I hope this doesn't have anything to do with the questions (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32902) I asked him at E3!

[bapenguin]

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Don Mattrick, a former president at Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), will lead the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB), which includes overseeing the Xbox® and Games for Windows® businesses. Peter Moore, who currently serves as corporate vice president of IEB, has decided to move his family back to the Bay Area for personal reasons and has secured another opportunity in the video games industry.

Mattrick will take over as the senior vice president of IEB at Microsoft, effective July 30. Mattrick was the founder of Distinctive Software Inc., which operated as a private company from 1982 until its merger with EA in 1991. Mattrick held various senior positions within EA, most recently as president of Worldwide Studios, until his resignation in February 2006. In February 2007, Mattrick began working with the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft as an external advisor.

“Peter has contributed enormously to the games business since joining Microsoft in 2003 and we are sad to see him go,” said Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “Since that time, he presided over the global launch of the Xbox 360™, spearheaded a revitalized and rebranded Games for Windows business, and helped steer the console’s ascent.”

Moore has decided to return with his family to Northern California, where they lived until he took the position at Microsoft. Moore will remain at Microsoft to assist in the transition through August and will then return to the San Francisco Bay area.

“While Peter will certainly be missed, we are delighted to have one of the industry’s most talented and passionate veterans on board to lead the business,” Bach said. “Don is well-known and respected throughout the industry for his deep knowledge, technical expertise and management savvy. Under Don’s leadership, the games team is looking forward to embarking on our biggest holiday ever, with a wide-ranging roster of some of the most highly anticipated titles.”

Mattrick brings 23 years of games industry and development experience to the strong Microsoft management team, having helped bring to life such celebrated game franchises as the “Need for Speed,” “Harry Potter” and “The Sims” while at EA.

“Over the past two decades, and the past few months in particular, I’ve worked closely with many of Microsoft’s top leaders and I’ve always been impressed by their talent, passion and commitment,” said Mattrick. “I’m thrilled to join an already strong team that’s delivering truly amazing gaming experiences to customers around the world. I’ve never been more excited about the future of the industry, and firmly believe Microsoft will lead the next great innovations in gaming.”

[TheFlyingOrc]

! Shocking!

[Cha-Ka]

SO Awesome!!

[torrefaction]

Damn. That's too bad. He's done a great job with the 360 overall.

I wonder if he was the voice against mods and non-monetized content though...

If so, this could be alright.

[TrackZero]

The fuck? Well, I suppose it's time for a change of the guard. Good job though Peter, you're one of my favourite PR peeps out there.

[NinjaSverre]

This is a BIG LOSS for Microsoft. The guy was a really good speaker and always gave the impression of actually caring about the games. Now the tattoos are wasted. :/

[Gorvi]

Wow, that's really surprising. Good luck to him.

[Yeti2005]

Dammit, I liked Peter Moore. He seemed honestly enthusiastic about videogames and the Xbox.

[TheFlyingOrc]

This is a BIG LOSS for Microsoft. The guy was a really good speaker and always gave the impression of actually caring about the games. Now the tattoos are wasted. :/
He can afford to have it removed.

[CaptStu]

So, MS and EA are trading personnel?

[Kamalot]

Wow!

I thought this was just a rumor. My oh my!

[digitalErich]

Hey BA, if you have any knowledge about this, what were some of Moore's responsibilities at his position at MS? What were th fruits of the projects that he drove? I only ask because I aways viewed him as just a media liaison/mouthpeice for the Xbox division but I know there had to be more to his position than that.

[PathMaster]

His reasons are fair though. I wish him well.

[Kamalot]

Peter Moore was one of the better speakers, genuinely passionate and knowledgeable. He will be sorely missed and will be a great asset to his new employer.

[Meusli]

What about his well known reputation for hating Sony, and for that matter EA for ruining the Dreamcast. Will his new position there be neutral?

[BlackPete]

That-site-that-shall-not-be-named is reporting that Peter Moore may be moving to EA. If this is true then this is pretty amusing... EA and Microsoft are swapping execs!

EDIT: Whoops looks like it might be official: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/805/805708p1.html

[Meatgortex]

So, MS and EA are trading personnel?

More then you know... Moore is apparently leaving to run EA Sports division.

[Chameleo]

damn that sucks.... he was a great company spokesperson and a huge loss for MS.

i think a company having one face to rely upon like crazy ken, or miyamoto is good for them.... it breeds more familiarity between the system and the fans...

[Kweli]

OH no, we are getting a EA guy....

<stares at the upcoming halt of all patches/bugs that will come to xbox>

EA guys suck balls... I dont want him... They dont fix anything, just re-wrap

[Tricky Thumb]

Should be interesting to see how things develop with a new set of hands steering the USS 360.

[Philonious]

Am I the only one who sees this as a bad thing for the 360? The thing has been doing well under Moore's leadership (he was more than a mouthpiece), and changing the guard now (with the Wii selling like crazy and the PS3 on the verge of delivering games) seems like a bad idea. Granted the ball is rolling, so I'm sure they'll do fine, but I saw him as a major reason the 360 was doing so well.

[Psykoboy2]

I'm really sad to see him go. Or more so the fact that I really wanted to interview him at some point.

[CaptStu]

I'm really sad to see him go. Or more so the fact that I really wanted to interview him at some point.

He's not dead.

[Siraris]

The fuck? Well, I suppose it's time for a change of the guard. Good job though Peter, you're one of my favourite PR peeps out there.

Changing of the guard? What the hell are you smoking? This is serious shit. Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?

[Chaos Machine]

Changing of the guard? What the hell are you smoking? This is serious shit. Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?

two words:


mo money

[Citizen Philip]

What about his well known reputation for hating Sony, and for that matter EA for ruining the Dreamcast. Will his new position there be neutral?

Lots of problems are solved with bags of money.

[CoachCrazyMcScot]

Moore was one of the reasons EA supposedly got tighter with Microsoft on the 360.

Too bad I still can't play an online game from EA on the 360 without MAJOR glitches and server problems.

This does feel like a trade, though. Any draft picks, prospects exchanged?

[YoungAlCapone]

Wow, this actually is big news. I wonder what the detail are behind this, unless I have fallen more behind than I realize, this is coming out of nowhere.

[AgtFox]

Changing of the guard? What the hell are you smoking? This is serious shit. Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?
Honestly? He wanted to move back to the Bay Area and he was offered the position of President of the EA Sports division (EA is splitting into 4 units that are each run by a President).

Chances are good he is making more bling as President of EA Sports (probably more than the other 3 heads) than he did in his Microsoft position (as hard as it is to believe).

You have to remember that EA Sports is probably the largest single publisher of games on the planet. He oversees the studio that sells the most games combined, it's a powerful position.

You also have to remember that Moore has a pretty extensive Sports background. He was the Head of Marketing at Reebok for a while and he was the one that headed Sega as they started to go head-to-head with EA Sports when EA wouldn't bring anything out on Dreamcast, sports games in particular.

[Slack3r78]

Jumping ship to EA? My Bill Hicks quote about marketing people having no soul (more likely an anti-soul, in fact) in the other thread is even truer now.

[Podfork]

Isn't it customary to post a doomed pic on stories such as these?

I'm KIDDING!


Oh well, company spokespeople are pretty interchangeable. They have a role to fulfill. I find that tends to eclipse my view of anything they say or how they go about saying it. I'm sure the new guy will be all kinds of awesome n stuff.

[CrashCart]

Should be interesting to see how things develop with a new set of hands steering the USS 360.
The USS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ship) Xbox 360?

[Psykoboy2]

http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/news/images/102708-1.jpg

to

http://afjv.com/press0505/050516_don_mattrick.jpg

He better get some tattoos.

[Slowpc]

Wow... simply wow...

[Slack3r78]

http://afjv.com/press0505/050516_don_mattrick.jpg

He better get some tattoos.
I can't wait to see this dude get the J Allard treatment.

[FallenStar]

What the?!?!?!? Money talks I guess.

[Oddmaker]

Lets hope we see better sports games from EA then :p

[fable2323]

This is a great move for him. I wish him all the luck in his new post.

[Norse]

360 exclusive EA Sports titles next year?

[bKangy]

:( I really liked Peter Moore.

[IrishWhiskey]

Seeing him go is sad. Seeing him go to EA SPORTS is just depressing.

Isn't EA sports the place where originality and respect for gamers go to die? He's gone from being a direct and forthright spokesperson for the 360, to peddling DORITOS(TM) powered halftime updates brought to you by RED BULL(TM) and EA Roster Update 2008: Limited Extreme Championship Extra Advertisements Edition.

EA's got a role in Rock Band right? Why the hell couldn't he go to that department and ensure that we get proper downloadable content through Live? We know he likes the game.

[ReaverX]

Wow... talk about a megaton... I never saw this coming. Especially right on the heels of E3 and that huge key note.

[Torgo]

Goodnight funnyman, now we got Garth from Wayne's World.

[Xerxes]

I hate to see Peter go. I would really like J Allard back though. I see jokes bout this new guy being from EA and I wonder.

And going to EA, WTF? Was this a trade? I think MS should of held out and tried to get one of Molyneux old licenses in the deal. ;)

[Mr.Green]

I'm actually sad about this.

This just in: I'm a huge fucking nerd.

[ReaverX]

Actually... I think I know what's going on. First Ken Kutaragi steps down... now Peter Moore... If Miyamoto leaves within the next couple of months...

They're all going to start their own company and make 1 gaming system to rule them all... Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are all TEH DOOMED!!!!1

[Psykoboy2]

They're all going to start their own company and make 1 gaming system to rule them all... Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are all TEH DOOMED!!!!1


Yeah, cause that worked for Image Comics didn't it?

[bapenguin]

Peter Moore was one of the more down to earth execs I've met. Sad to see him go. I'm a little surprised they didn't promote from within for this, they've built a strong core group of guys in the Xbox division.

[Xerxes]

Actually... I think I know what's going on. First Ken Kutaragi steps down... now Peter Moore... If Miyamoto leaves within the next couple of months...

They're all going to start their own company and make 1 gaming system to rule them all... Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are all TEH DOOMED!!!!1

LOL
One to make the hardware, one to make the software, and one to lead the hype.

[KSmitty]

Very suprising move, very strange when paired with a more or less personnel switch with EA. *shrugs* Meh, we'll see how this works out for MS a few months down the road.

[Xerxes]

Yeah, cause that worked for Image Comics didn't it?
I actually like Spawn. I never could afford or follow it when they started. Rob sucked balls. Kept starting and stopping Wild CATS. :(

[Tel Prydain]

Peter Moore was down to earth, funny and seemed to be honestly into the games - I'm very sad to see him go.

[Disgustipated]

Sucks. Peter Moore was a neat guy to hear speak.

[torrefaction]

Peter Moore was one of the more down to earth execs I've met. Sad to see him go. I'm a little surprised they didn't promote from within for this, they've built a strong core group of guys in the Xbox division.

That may be why they didn't promote from within. There are times that breeds jealousy, not to mention breaking a working team dynamic. Executives can be replaced, but top performers can't.

[snugglebearofdeath]

My how time heals all wounds. I remember all the bad blood between EA and Sega/Dreamcast when Moore was with Sega. That tool Bing Gordon (I think his name was) saying that since EA wasn't going to support the Dreamcast it was doomed to a quick failure.

Yeah, I know he was right but he's still a tool.

[karak]

There is a ton of experience that is now leaving MS and also coming in. The new gentleman has to see the success, and how it got there, now he has all the experience and knowledge from helping EA become the massive beast it is. Maybe just maybe this is that extra step to have MS think outside the box. I love Peter Moore and Shane Kim but I am not one to diss on the new guy, as I think he could use some of his insider knowledge to help MS. I am also pretty sure this was all known BEFORE E3 and MS did an excellent job having Peter give a "state of the 360" address as his going out performance.
He will be missed as an excellent business man and a very good speaker.

[clok1966]

Changing of the guard? What the hell are you smoking? This is serious shit. Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?

I know ther are no "offical" number , but how would you like to be the man most associated with a console with a 30% fail rate, a company that still wont own up to the problems. The 3 year warrenty was a very nice gesture and may stave off the lawsuits for a bit. But the simple faact (lawsuit wise) is MS continued to sell a product with KNOWN problems... the 3 year warrenty will stave off a few but the real money grubber are looking at MS right now and the lawyers are all lining up to sue.

Eventaly there will be the sacrafical lamb.... better to get out of that mess while the gettings good and your rep isnt ruined.

just an opinion... nothing more.. I am no fan of MS but he seemed like he might have been one of the reason the 360 turned out OK.

Clok

[Itchyeyes]

I'm curious to see how things will change with Mattrick at the helm. Moore had his roots in running business and, despite his enthusiasm for games, it showed. Mattrick on the other hand has his roots in game development. It will definitely be interesting to see how his leadership style differs from Moore's

[Siraris]

Seeing him go is sad. Seeing him go to EA SPORTS is just depressing.

Isn't EA sports the place where originality and respect for gamers go to die? He's gone from being a direct and forthright spokesperson for the 360, to peddling DORITOS(TM) powered halftime updates brought to you by RED BULL(TM) and EA Roster Update 2008: Limited Extreme Championship Extra Advertisements Edition.

EA's got a role in Rock Band right? Why the hell couldn't he go to that department and ensure that we get proper downloadable content through Live? We know he likes the game.

You sure are full of opinions aren't you? EA sports creates a lot of cookie cutter content, but that's what sports games are. Most sports fan are happy with a graphical upgrade and new rosters. They aren't looking for radical changes, especially when it's a sport that hasn't really changed in decades.

Much of their other stuff is very good, and improving lately as well. The Need for Speeds have really done a lot to innovate and impress (Carbon was graphically gorgeous and had a lot of new ideas). Street Homecourt was EXTREMELY refreshing and garnered 9's from almost everywhere. Army of Two is one of my most anticipated games, and is doing many original things.

It's easy to make ridiculous statements like this, but EA is the most successful game company in the world, and didn't just blindly stumble into the position. They fell off for a bit there, but they have quickly changed that and are putting out a lot of quality titles.

Thought I'd pose this here, since we're on the subject: Does anyone else notice how people refer to big companies like they are sole entities? Like EA is this 6'5 guy who makes games, and he does this and that, or Sony is this singular entity who has done this or that? It's fascinating to me, that an executive can make a comment, or one team out of a dozen could make a bad game, and it somehow is a reflection of the entire company.

[Slack3r78]

You sure are full of opinions aren't you? EA sports creates a lot of cookie cutter content, but that's what sports games are. Most sports fan are happy with a graphical upgrade and new rosters. They aren't looking for radical changes, especially when it's a sport that hasn't really changed in decades.
They especially enjoy not having to decide which title to buy thanks to exclusivity deals!

[jadkins555]

Wasn't Mattrick the guy that made the announcement about EA Sports coming to Xbox Live years back at the E3 Microsoft press conference? If so, and I think it was, he was a pretty good speaker. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does, but like many of you, I really did like Peter Moore.

[Psykoboy2]

Wasn't Mattrick the guy that made the announcement about EA Sports coming to Xbox Live years back at the E3 Microsoft press conference?

Yep. The very same one. I remember that quite well as it was the announcement that EA would go ONLINE with Xbox & Xbox Live which made me even more happy that year about Burnout: Takedown

[Shadowstorm]

That sucks =/

[Zanzibar]

JESUS CHRIST, did you see how much money EA paid him to jump ship????

This from the Site That Shall Not Be Named:

An SEC Form 8-K filing detailing Peter's compensation reveals that his new base salary at EA will be $550,000 not including a "discretionary target bonus" of 75% of his annual base salary, up to $412,500. In other words, he's rich, bitch. But that's not all.

In addition to his base pay, Moore will also receive a signing bonus of $1.5 million if he remains with EA for two years. However, that bonus will be paid out within 30 days of his employment, to be repaid if Moore moves on from the company before his two year anniversary.

Moore will also receive a stock grant of 50,000 restricted shares, half of which vest at two years into his EA employment with the other half vesting at the four year mark. At the current after hours value of EA stock, his shares would value $4.26 million, a figure sure to change before 2009. He's also been given a stock option grant to purchase 350,000 shares as part of the company's Equity Incentive Plan.

[Shadowstorm]

JESUS CHRIST, did you see how much money EA paid him to jump ship????

This from the Site That Shall Not Be Named:

Holy shit.

[Psykoboy2]

Wonder if he comes with a 3 year warranty?

Man, EA buys everything.

[LilAbner]

Lots of problems are solved with bags of money.

Indeed. Lest anyone thinks this was about anything other than money, you're sorely mistaken.

Do I blame him? Absolutely not. Go get that money, Pete.

[DarkDaY]

hmmm, sad to see him go, he makes shit work, and damit, I dont want to have to like ea sports,

guess ill have to pay more attention to that division now.
fuk im a geek.

[Shjinta]

Changing of the guard? What the hell are you smoking? This is serious shit. Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?


He got tired of all my calls and emails about the warriors not being on the BC list.

[JimmyDanger]

So Peter Moore (if targets are reached) - could have an extra 3.3 million in the bank by sticking with EA Sports as president for two years?

I couldn't argue with that cheddar.

[DaXIthR]

This does feel like a trade, though. Any draft picks, prospects exchanged?

Just cash considerations and a deal for a new arena in South France called Chateau du Moore.

[Deadend]

Well, Moore did his job, he managed to take the Xbox from being... well, the first Xbox, to being the Market Leader for the moment going against companies who have been in the game industry for much longer and each are closer to gamers hearts in history.

So yeah, I can see him wanting to move on to do new things. Like cleaning up the image of EA Sports of churning out cookie cutter games and not giving a game that is worth the money every year.

Hell, EA's higher exces have even been hinting that they are rethinking their cookie cutter franchises, with mixing it up every couple of years or so. They may keep the Madden series the same, as it's an extremely reliable income stream that can be used to try and find the next big thing... which is what Spore, Army of Two, skate and a few other EA games are about.

So yeah, I can see why Moore would jump to EA.

[Zanzibar]

So Peter Moore (if targets are reached) - could have an extra 3.3 million in the bank by sticking with EA Sports as president for two years?

I couldn't argue with that cheddar.
I know. This should quell the 'He Left Because He Was Unhappy' rumors.

[antoniogaud]

This might put the X360 in a good position with EA compared to the PS3?

[NeoSuplex]

MS is trading the Sega guy for an EA exec?

ABANDON SHIP!!!

[Kem0sabe]

This might put the X360 in a good position with EA compared to the PS3?


In a good position how? EA doesn't do console exclusives, they will launch their franchises in every available console, and they sure as hell wont piss off Sony, with their 100+ million PS2 user base.

[DaXIthR]

Must be nice to be able to say "Microsoft couldn't afford me".

[RorschachCCCLX]

the sign of a sinking ship? at my store today 90% of all NCAA pick ups were on PS3. I know a very unrepresentive sample, but still, things look alittle shakey for microsoft right now.

[Rex Dart]

It seems EA could use a PR guy like Moore. While it was not his accomplishment exclusively, he helped make Microsoft, which was once seen as a hostile invader of the home console market, into the well-regarded company it is today. Today, EA is viewed with similar levels of malice and distrust as Microsoft once was. I wonder if EA hopes to buck this perception the same way Microsoft did?

I also wonder how this will affect the game industry at large. The former president of a powerful multi platform game developer working for Microsoft while former Microsoft vice president takes charge of said developer. I wonder if Microsoft's relationship with EA is going to change at all.

[Karmakin]

Pshaw. Now there's a hunted head. Not that I can say I blame EA, Moore definitely is good at what he does. But still. To head up EA Sports? You know...I don't really see what talent you need for that. I think a trained rodent could do it :)

[Tel Prydain]

I know ther are no "offical" number , but how would you like to be the man most associated with a console with a 30% fail rate, a company that still wont own up to the problems.
Pretty good, now he has more money then god.

[Teh Super King]

LOL
One to make the hardware, one to make the software, and one to lead the hype.

And one ring to control them all.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8509/ringyn4.jpg

[Mal.Reynolds]

That sucks i really liked that guy -.-

[DeejayKnight]

Wow. I can't think of anything else to say other than 'wow'.

[Adam Blue]

Yeah....wow is also the only thing to come to mind. Is this good or bad? Will this mean the EA sports titles will be getting better? What does this mean for Microsoft? A prez from EA...I'd say no thanks.

[Rafer]

Today, EA is viewed with similar levels of malice and distrust as Microsoft once was. I wonder if EA hopes to buck this perception the same way Microsoft did?

I think EA has turned around a little lately, some of the games they've been showing off lately like Skate, Army of Two and My Sims looks surprisingly "cool" compared to the regular rushed out derivative licensed crap EA usually puts out. Adding Peter Moore takes them further in that direction of raising the perception of the company.

[jonat3]

Damn. It's a big loss for MS. That guy had true charisma.

Also, if i remember correctly, wasn't he the source of the wii60 fad? He was the first to speak positively about the competition after Nintendo dominated E3 last year. As a direct result of that speech, the coin phrase "wii60" was born. I still consider that move true genius. I doubt anyone else would have been able to turn a disaster into an advantage like he did.

[bapenguin]

Why would someone just up and leave a cushy VP job at Microsoft?

Your kidding right? You saw the shit he had to deal with at E3. These guys get treated like political figures but with much less respect. Being the head of one of the big 3 is a high visiblity job.

Can you name me the prior head of EA Sports? Or shown me where anyone from EA had the visibility that Peter had? My guess that (and the dumptruck of cash) had a lot to do with it.

[beaus27]

Mr. Pete Moore can go @#!$^& himself!!! He stabbed me in the back years ago when he walked away from the Dreamcast to join Monopoly-soft. I BELIEVED in Mr. Pete Moore during the Dreamcast run and then uriniated on of us D.C fanboys. :mad:
On a another note: I always thought it was strange, Pete Moore Cheverolet in Pensacola, FL(my hometown) and now this "Benidict Arnold" in charge of EA Sports. Not the same guy, I hope.

[JimmyDanger]

Mr. Pete Moore can go @#!$^& himself!!! He stabbed me in the back years ago when he walked away from the Dreamcast to join Monopoly-soft. I BELIEVED in Mr. Pete Moore during the Dreamcast run and then uriniated on of us D.C fanboys. :mad:
.

I don't believe the decision to stop producing Dreamcast Hardware was undertaken by Mr Moore.

[GunnyMo]

Yeah, too bad. I think Peter was a great asset and front man for the 360. It's sad to see him go. Here's hoping he can make changes at EA Sports. Perhaps something innovative and different than the latest graphical update to Madden and NCAA Football '95. ;)

[beaus27]

No Jimmy that's true, the decision was not Mr.Moore's. But I was working at E.B on 09/09/99, got my D.C that day, and Mr. Moore was our P.R. He had such a vision for the D.C. I was naive, I was a fool.

[51|RandoM]

The 360 is going to fuel an incredibly great holiday season this year, it is a shame he won't be at the helm during the high point of the 360's lifespan.

Oh well, he is getting the chance to move his family back to the area they want to live in and pocket a huge chunk of change while doing it. Can't blame the man for making that decision. :)

[Xerxes]

Ummm, what the fuck is J Allard doing? I thought he came back from the future already, again.

[digitalErich]

Ummm, what the fuck is J Allard doing?
I think he's still trying to make the Zune a contender in the portable market.

[Wasson_]

two words:


mo money


yes but...physics forth law tell us that you always get mo problems.

[Xerxes]

I think he's still trying to make the Zune a contender in the portable market.
I wish one day I can have a vague job title... Corporate Vice President, Design and Development, Entertainment and Devices Division

[mkelehan]

No Jimmy that's true, the decision was not Mr.Moore's. But I was working at E.B on 09/09/99, got my D.C that day, and Mr. Moore was our P.R. He had such a vision for the D.C. I was naive, I was a fool.
Right, because it was his fault that the DC failed, not the world for not buying them. The idea that anyone inside Sega wanted the DC to fail is just plain ludicrous.

[Ultima Thulian]

Meh...he quit his old job for one that payed more money. So what?

[beaus27]

thanks mkelehan for backing me up. yeah he wants more money who doesn't.
But HOW many times does he have to jump ship. Sega> MS> EA Sports>??? Sounds like he DOES NOT CARE about the game industry one way or another.
Guys like Moore ARE the very reason whay the gaming industry burst in '83: GREED.
If he firmly believes in a company, then he will stay in one place.

[Hellstorm]

Moore likes to abandon sinking ships.

[Heretic Machine]

Wow, after reading this post, I think he might of been the best PR guy ever. You guys realize that he was paid to make you like him, don't you? That he lied to you frequently? Jeeze, I'm not saying you have to be a paranoid lunatic, but a little skepticism would do some of you some good.

Personally, I don't care one way or another. I don't like PR men; it is a good rule to have for anyone who is paid to make you like them no matter what they have to do to accomplish that. He is getting a good deal, good for him. But since I don't really hang off the word of every MS press release, nor play sports games, this effects me in only a tertiary fashion. I think most of you would feel the same if you looked past the misplaced sentiment.

[RorschachCCCLX]

Moore likes to abandon sinking ships.

I totaly called that at the end of page two.

I think this might an omen of where things are going... as I mentioned today, almost all the sales in my store in the stores in my area of NCAA today has been on the PS3, there is alot of buzz now about it and people are starting to buy systems... 9/10 times when I've told a customer that games like GTA IV or DMC 4 were PS3 and 360 only, the responce I've gotten has been "I guess I have to buy me a PS3"

it is important to note the majority of the NCAA-PS3 buyers were "sports only" gamers and 1/2 did not own high def tvs or care about gaming outside of sports.

[dimsumx]

Whoever thinks that MS getting an EA exec while EA gets an MS exec won't improve relations between the two companies is blind. Both will know the inner workings of the other and I can almost bet that this will land the 360 a few more perks. The 360's 60fps vs PS3's 30 in sports games? That's just the beginning.

[menage]

EA/MS merger! :P

= Tons of EA exclusives:P

[bjornbarspingvinen]

I totaly called that at the end of page two.

I think this might an omen of where things are going... as I mentioned today, almost all the sales in my store in the stores in my area of NCAA today has been on the PS3, there is alot of buzz now about it and people are starting to buy systems... 9/10 times when I've told a customer that games like GTA IV or DMC 4 were PS3 and 360 only, the responce I've gotten has been "I guess I have to buy me a PS3"

it is important to note the majority of the NCAA-PS3 buyers were "sports only" gamers and 1/2 did not own high def tvs or care about gaming outside of sports.
are you kidding me? the ps3 version of all EA sports games run at 30 FPS compared to 360s 60 fps. And sales of consoles are showing ps3 is easily last in sales.

ANyhow, Moore hasn´t had any prodigy success with any company he´s been with as far as I can see? or?

And an EA sports job must be the easiest in the world, their fans buy anything with a EA sports logo attached, their brand loyalty is so strong it´s scary(and stupid)

[TeeCakes]

So, MS and EA are trading personnel?

Yeah, don't be surprised if 360 gets a few killer EA exclusives sometime in the near future. GG, MS.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

EA had a recent change in upper management as I recall. Now they are adding Moore to their team, which adds all of his MS connections and knowledge to the EA pool. Just because he is heading Sports, doesn't mean his knowledge isn't available to other EA divisions.

MS gets somebody from EA, who has many of the same benefits for MS. It's a stronger tie between the two companies for sure.

And, from what I understand Don Mattrick is based out of Vancouver which also happens to be the city where MS said they are migrating staff to due to issues with US immigration. It could be that more of the XBox development might be heading to Canada, and Moore decided that he would prefer to stay in California while also getting a decent signing bonus from EA.

There were probably several reasons why this exchange came to be. You might not like EA or MS, but they are both astute companies.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

Well, according to Games Industry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26902) MS had a 51.12 billion dollar year, so the billion dollar charge to the games group got lost in that.

When Moore leaves, he actually cleaned up his group and is giving the new fellow a rather decent starting bonus of having the 360 support costs covered in the previous years earnings.

Now lets see what he does with that. :)

[DangerousDaze]

As one who's seen corporate politics up close my reading of this is that Moore had no choice in this departure and that there is no love lost between MS and EA. Companies don't cough up a billion dollars and not take someone's head as compensation.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

As one who's seen corporate politics up close my reading of this is that Moore had no choice in this departure and that there is no love lost between MS and EA. Companies don't cough up a billion dollars and not take someone's head as compensation.
As someone who has also seen corporate politics up close my reading is that it depends on the philosophy of the businesses involved. Some look forward to what they can announce next year, rather than pointing fingers at somebody high up for design flaws that were well under way before he joined the team. In business, you take your lumps and if you get rid of people who make mistakes all you do is replace them with others who very likely will also make mistakes. Mistakes happen not because of sloppiness, but because of budgets and time constraints and complexity.

And, as far as I have seen, love has never been part of corporate politics. It remains cleverly hidden in the hotel rooms of the world. That said, neither MS nor EA are likely to be under the impression that they need to love each other in order to have business arrangements.

Marriage itself is not always about love. It can be for financial reasons, or power. This latest change was a cross pollination of corporate genetics. Both EA and MS could ignore the benefits of that if they want, but frankly it would be a rather silly mistake. In that case, perhaps more heads should roll?

[DangerousDaze]

It doesn't matter when the design flaw was introduced. The fact is that MSFT eventually decided they couldn't get away with it any longer, but had Moore owned up to the problem much earlier (and let's not pretend that MSFT didn't know what was going on) then the impact would have been much less. Moore gambled on being able to ride it out and that gamble failed, hence his departure.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

It doesn't matter when the design flaw was introduced. The fact is that MSFT eventually decided they couldn't get away with it any longer, but had Moore owned up to the problem much earlier (and let's not pretend that MSFT didn't know what was going on) then the impact would have been much less. Moore gambled on being able to ride it out and that gamble failed, hence his departure.
Most likely it was not solely his decision. It falls into the risk management for a large project, it is assessed, and gambled on.

You like to present it as failure, but there are many more factors in the decision than the simplistic approach you take; timing being one of them. When and how the situation is handled has many behind-the-scenes activities. They assess financial impacts, marketing impacts, proximity and costs of solutions, legal implications ... all of which take time and energy to assess realistically. Its not just an afternoon's work.

They probably held back on manufacturing more 360s until they had a clear fix for the problems determined. They may not have been able to actually begin manufacturing as quickly as they hoped (ie switching to 65nm). They might have decided if they are willing to blow off summer sales in exchange for a new fall with new content, financial support for 360 defects accounted for in the previous year's book, major new titles, and a new design.

Sorry if it fails your needs as a consumer, but frankly your point was that you were aware of corporate politics and I am adding my own experiences to the conversation.

[DangerousDaze]

Sorry if it fails your needs as a consumer, but frankly your point was that you were aware of corporate politics and I am adding my own experiences to the conversation.
You make it sound like the division was run as a democracy when the reality is that the guy at the top is responsible and, more importantly, accountable for everything that happens. He may initiate a special project to make a recommendation but it's his decision that finally counts. I'm not being critical of Moore (no one can see into the future) and I doubt the split from Microsoft was at all acrimonious, it's just the way things go at that level of management. The buck stopped with him and he was held accountable.

Also, remember that this isn't fair. The CEO doesn't care about the details and he doesn't care whether or not there was anything that Moore could have done. As the guy in charge of what is essentially a financial gangfuck for MSFT he's going to have to pay. He's paid.

/edit - in case you needed another reason for Moore's head it's this: 360 unit sales in Q406 were 1.8 million. Unit sales in the same quarter this year were only 700,000.