Peter Moore kickin' it at EA Sports

[UPDATE 3] Xbox 360's most public advocate to head third-party publisher's sports games arm; Don Mattrick named as replacement, Sony welcomes former rival.

Normally, the week after the Electronic Entertainment Expo is relatively quiet. This year, though, saw a bombshell rock the game industry four days after the E3 Media & Business Summit closed shop.

Goodbye Microsoft, hello EA Sports!

GameSpot has confirmed that Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the entertainment and devices division of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, is quitting. The announcement comes less than one week after Moore hosted Microsoft's E3 press briefing. It also comes just under two weeks after he announced the extension of the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years. Prompted by rising reports of hardware defects that Moore had previously downplayed, the move will cost Microsoft as much as $1.15 billion last quarter alone.

The closeness of the 360's warranty extension and Moore's departure has raised some eyebrows, given his prior steadfast dismissals and evasions on any 360 hardware issues. Even more ironic will be the fact that Moore's new gig will have him helping to hype games on the 360's archrivals--the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.

Electronic Arts has confirmed to GameSpot that Peter Moore has been tapped to become the new president of EA Sports. The move will put Moore in charge of one of the top third-party publisher's four divisions, which were established in a recent company-wide reorganization. EA Sports develops and publishes the popular Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods, and FIFA franchise, as well as the just-released NCAA Football 08.

Though some might consider it a demotion, Moore's move is the latest chapter in a long and storied career in the game industry. Before becoming the Xbox's chief spokesperson in 2003, he was president and COO of Sega of America. During his tenure there, he presided over the Sonic Factory's transition from console-maker to third-party publisher in the wake of the Dreamcast's demise.

[UPDATE] Wasting no time in filling the abrupt vacancy, Microsoft also announced today that the reins for its interactive entertainment business have been passed to Don Mattrick. Altogether fitting in light of Moore's new digs, Mattrick served as Electronic Arts' president of worldwide studios until February 2006. The seasoned exec has been working as an external advisor for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division since February 2007, and will transition into his new role of senior vice president of interactive entertainment business effective July 30. Moore will remain at Microsoft through August to aid in Mattrick's transition.

[UPDATE 2] Moore's move was also greeted with kind words from a former archrival. Sony Computer Entertainment America president Jack Tretton issued a statement warmly welcoming Moore to EA Sports, which develops a range of PS3 titles. "We wish Peter the best of luck in his new role at Electronic Arts and look forward to working with him," he said. "We have an outstanding relationship with EA and their sports products have been incredibly successful on all our platforms. I am sure this will continue with Peter now at the helm."

[UPDATE 3] Last but not least, later in the day an EA SEC filing revealed Moore's generous salary package, which includes a $1.5 million signing bonus.

623 Comments

  • metalmulisha808

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:49 pm PT

    that sucks... why would you leave microsoft for ea? he was doing good too. maybe he'll become an insider for microsoft at ea... hmmm.

  • suprsolider

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:47 pm PT

    MGS 4 is NEVER COMING to 360.
    Get over it.

    Either buy a PS3 to play the game or don't play it at all.

    It is PS3 exclusive now and forever will be.

  • wwonka666

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:44 pm PT

    Peter Moore will be greatly missed as the face of Microsoft, I will miss him anyway. I hate EA, with their crappy games an annual franchises. It's kinda a funny when I was watching an interview with the head of EA, Ricatello, he was bashing other companies for annual franchises and cookie cutter games, it was the biggest joke I had ever seen.

  • DiGiTaL_SiNs

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:41 pm PT

    That really really sucks! Moore did a really good job on the 360 and I'm sad to see him go :-(

    Anyways, he did a good job but not the "Best" job, maybe the new guy has a few tricks or two up his sleeves. (MGS4 for the 360!! COME ON!)

  • kevy619

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    "Dark_Nexus3367

    Wow all of these conspiracies are just amusing.Moore didn't just up and leave Microsoft.These types of decisions involve months even years of planning and organizing.It's just coincedence that he happened to finalize the deal after E3 and the 3yr warranty thing.It's very simple,EA offered him a nice $1.5 million signing bonus along with a contract that awards him over $950,000 a year without taxes.He wanted to move near his family in the San Francisco Bay Area so he saw the offer as a win-win situation for him and EA so he went.Moore will obviously help EA and MS form a stronger business relationship,but it's no plot to screw up games for the other platforms as lazy developers are the reasons behind that.I will miss Moore working at Microsoft but I applaude him for getting a good deal out of it.He's one rich guy now.As for the former EA exec taking his spot,that can only mean insane pricing on XBL downloadable content and xbox 360 owners getting nickel and dimed for everything.Good luck with that one MIcrosoft lol."

    so every company making multiplat games that arent as good one system are lazy?

  • mrynthom

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:38 pm PT

    This is a good move for both companies. EA will make high quality xbox 360 games, and Microsoft will continue to make consoles. Microsoft always finds good spokesmen, and they will find another. As for this being bad for the other consoles, it isn't. The wii is big enough that EA will never abandon that market, and sony will make sure these games come onto their console. Even if sony is failing now, they will end up selling enough consoles to get by, and if blu-ray wins, they might catch everyone.

  • Dark_Nexus3367

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:30 pm PT

    Wow all of these conspiracies are just amusing.Moore didn't just up and leave Microsoft.These types of decisions involve months even years of planning and organizing.It's just coincedence that he happened to finalize the deal after E3 and the 3yr warranty thing.It's very simple,EA offered him a nice $1.5 million signing bonus along with a contract that awards him over $950,000 a year without taxes.He wanted to move near his family in the San Francisco Bay Area so he saw the offer as a win-win situation for him and EA so he went.Moore will obviously help EA and MS form a stronger business relationship,but it's no plot to screw up games for the other platforms as lazy developers are the reasons behind that.I will miss Moore working at Microsoft but I applaude him for getting a good deal out of it.He's one rich guy now.As for the former EA exec taking his spot,that can only mean insane pricing on XBL downloadable content and xbox 360 owners getting nickel and dimed for everything.Good luck with that one MIcrosoft lol.

  • THEKING1337

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:25 pm PT

    he is a for the win, kind of guy so I am sure he will be fine there

  • Duggla

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:16 pm PT

    noooooooooo!!! betrayl!

  • suhunkorea

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:15 pm PT

    TRAITOR!!

  • taylorfam

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:06 pm PT

    hes gonna need a new tattoo. hooray for moore's tats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • HALOISTHEBEST26

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:59 pm PT

    this has nothing to do with the well being of the 360

  • Ministry4390

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:49 pm PT

    Sooo, does this mean we get to have J Allard back??!?!

  • neonblueshadow

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:48 pm PT

    so.... there isn't much creativity involved in the EA sports department.. its a pretty simple cash cow system, you upgrade a lil every year and viola, another handful of million copy sellers.... why so much work going after a top exec for an already stable department. EA Sports labels is hands down , one of the most profiting departments in the entire gaming industry...

  • mrgokugf

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:45 pm PT

    what's he going to do with all those tattoos?

  • Oni

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:39 pm PT

    Wow ... this guy is pretty lucky!

  • ashuncc2

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:36 pm PT

    Wow, that is huge news! I hate to see Peter Moore leave Microsoft.

  • drangel_jam

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:35 pm PT

    Best of luck to him.

  • Jared_Vegeta

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:29 pm PT

    Hell, for that money, I'd of left too.

  • Enigma2K99

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:24 pm PT

    ... well THAT came out of nowhere!!!

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:24 pm PT

    Uhhh... I don't think the tattoos were real. Sheesh.

  • Heri012 posted Jul 17, 2007 7:22 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Heri012

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:22 pm PT (hide)

    Lol another nail in 360 coffin......Lol lol lol

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:17 pm PT

    Irony

    EA guy goes to Microsoft, MS guy goes to Electronic Arts

  • bdhoff

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:14 pm PT

    In light of all of the 360's problems with reliability, I wouldn't be surprised if part of this is to put a fresh face on the Xbox product line. New warranty, new commitment and new spokesperson.

    Makes sense to me.

  • ievro

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:13 pm PT

    OOOOOh... yes bring on the conspiracy theories. Yeah Moore and M$ are plotting to take over the world YES!!!! HAHAHA PS3 fans you can have your madden for ........ ONE MILLION DOLLARS EACH!!!!! Where's Mr. Bigglesworth????

    The guy got PAID big time and dug out. If only we all could be so friggin lucky

  • dhalsim311

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:10 pm PT

    hes kinda like the face of microsoft for me besides gates and master chief haha

  • moafnsteel posted Jul 17, 2007 7:10 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    moafnsteel

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:10 pm PT (hide)

    jackfatal are you not normal. If I remember killzone one sucked horribly and your saying how great killzone 2 will be. I will say halo is not the greatest game ever made like people claim but they are a whole hell of a lot better then killzone one. Gears crushes them all. And if anything is overhyped its killzone 2. The first game sucked and the second one will be okay only because the graphics will be good. And for anybody who thinks the Xbox 360 will flopped your retard If anything will flop it will be the PS3, compare exclusives and the same game is better on the Xbox 360. Don't see the logic in how the PS3 is going to win. I can almost assure you that MGS and Final Fantasy XIII will be going multi platform. They are a ways away and both studios are questioning the fact that they can make any money on the PS3. Even more evidence that PS3 is probably going down in the ****

  • Diablo2343

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:09 pm PT

    Crap if Moore wanted to go back to Bay Area, M$ would have let him.....Something is going on.. Im not a fortune teller, but I would not be suprised if there is some crazy announcement from EA regarding the 360.

  • mrjasler

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:09 pm PT

    I think Peter has made the right move.. can you imagine how stressful his job would have been at microsoft? you guys don't look at him as a person.. there is only so much you can deal with.. EA will give him a great salary, stock options etc.. probably better than microsoft and he will move back to san fran with his family with half of the stress that he had at microsoft. I don't know what mattrick is thinking.. here is a guy who is absolutely loaded and he is putting himself in a difficult position.. I'm thinking it's an ego boost job for mattrick..

  • mrklorox

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:06 pm PT

    Good luck to Peter Moore at EA, he has a lot of turning around to do. Hopefully he'll be promoted above simply the EA Sports division.

    As far as Don Mattrick goes, ugh! I don't want a high-ranking ex-EA guy in charge of the entire Microsoft gaming platform. Moore did a lot in rebranding Games for Windows and I fear that EA tactics will only do harm to PC gaming.

  • wwonka666

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:00 pm PT

    I knew somebody would be going down because of the 1Billion dollar 360 fiasco but never imagined it would be Peter Moore.

  • jackfatal

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:56 pm PT

    @ AngelsongCA man u r not normal!
    and besides just to let u know! killzone 2 is much better graphics than gears of war and it looks better than halo 3 also in graphics!!
    i checked both games in HD trailer and when they focused on the faces killzone looked much better although from far distance gears of war looked more shiny but they used some tricks to make u think its that good but its not when the camera go close to the faces!! but it looks a great game anyway i love good games and i enjoyed a lot halo on my pc but to say the truth halo franchise is overrated!!

  • Dogswithguns

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:54 pm PT

    ..... He wants moore money?

  • macman1978

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:52 pm PT

    first ea goes to 60 frames per second and now this. ea is having a pretty good year.

  • WmRedwine

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:52 pm PT

    Peter will be fine. According to the Major Nelson blog he is moving back to the Bay Area to be closer to his family.

    Matrik will be good for MS and Moore will be good for EA.

    Yay executives!!

  • southy787

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:48 pm PT

    Seems a strange choice. I know which one I'd rather work for.

  • Stammalamma

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:47 pm PT

    What the hell?! Wow. This is so sketchy.

  • dvs98

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:46 pm PT

    I suspect something fishy going on as well.

  • Diablo2343

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:45 pm PT

    Will EA go straight to M$?

  • S_Pac_316

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:42 pm PT

    I'm sure he'll hype EA sports games on the 360 as well...

  • AngelsongCA

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:40 pm PT

    Peter Moore has been planted in EA by Microsoft to ensure all PS3 games run at 30 FPS, and have worse graphics than the 360 versions. He will make sure 360 games run at 60 FPS, and create artificial delays on PS3 games to keep the 360 versions exclusive for a little while.

    It's pure genius.

    Kidding. Or, am I?

  • JamesL007

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:39 pm PT

    Its good to be Moore now of days, I am I right. This guy is rolling in cash and has a Killer job now at EA, good for Moore. Peace

  • YunalescaFFX

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:39 pm PT

    LOLOLOLOL - You can definitely buy everything with money

  • kevy619

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:34 pm PT

    "demoralizer"

    its more likely that ea and microsoft are making deals...

  • QualityJeverage

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:30 pm PT

    If there's one thing I've learned from reading these comments, it's that no matter how crazy it makes one sound, there's ALWAYS a conspiracy.

    Honestly, can you guys not understand that maybe Peter Moore just wants to move back to the Bay Area with his family, and that this isn't some doomsday scheme?

    I'll bet that if you showed the kind of blatant fanboyism that exists here to the higherups at Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo, they would laugh.

  • Timma1083

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:25 pm PT

    Wow, this is weird

  • MichaeltheCM

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:19 pm PT

    he's going to be the President!?!?!??! wow

  • demoralizer

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:16 pm PT

    Maybe Sony and EA are getting together to crush MS. And EA demoted Don Mattrick because there is no more a need for his position because there will be no more online games for 360.

    MS upset over More danceing like a fool at E3 and getting paid 1.5 million by laughing EA and Sony, they try to do some damage control by hiring Mr. Mattrick, who is upset at EA and could help MS make some sort of a sport game division.

  • darthogre

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 6:14 pm PT

    I assume all the lems are eatting crow right? After all after the head of Sony's game division...retired, everyone thought that was doom and gloom. All I heard was Sony has flooped and is getting rid of everyone. This can't be good for MS as a whole.

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