TANKs BLOG #192 : Peter Moore Resigns

TANK

Shared on Tue, 07/17/2007 - 16:06
Breaking news story and a shocking one at that. Microsoft’s Corp. VP of Interactive Entertainment, Peter Moore is stepping down and moving on.

Peter Moore came to Microsoft in January of 2003 from Sega and heavily influenced the Xbox design from work he had overseen with the Dreamcast. Moore was most publicly seen as ‘the’ man when it came to the Xbox product line with more than 25 years experience in global sales and marketing.

Apparently former EA president, Don Mattrick will be taking Moore’s place as head of Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft. Matrick resigned from EA back in September of 2005 and the reason he gave for leaving was he wasn’t interested in running a public company. However Mattrick has been a member of Microsoft since February this year in the capacity of an advisor to the Interactive Entertainment division.

It’s possible that Moore had announced his intensions to leave and they had been grooming Mattrick for the position. Some also believe Moore had no choice but to step down after producing potentially 11 million defect Xbox 360’s going for cheap design over quality. This will end up costing Microsoft $1 Billion to provide a three year extended warranty on Xbox 360’s that have the dreaded three red lights of death problem.

Peter Moore is said to be leaving Microsoft and heading to Electronic Arts. Moore will be moving back to San Francisco and taking the lead of Electronic Art’s new Sports Division. Hopefully this will lead to some much needed overhaul of their cookie cutter sports games. Their last NBA 07 game was a joke and Madden isn’t much better. 2K sports is really coming on strong and EA’s sports division really needs a great leader to amp up their products to compete with 2K.

Official Press Release:

REDMOND, Wash. — July 17, 2007 — 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.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Comments

Jedi_Kez's picture
Submitted by Jedi_Kez on Wed, 07/18/2007 - 11:01
OH yeah, forgot about those summary blogs. So, what that is only 4 blogs without links in an entire year? :p
ekattan's picture
Submitted by ekattan on Tue, 07/17/2007 - 16:23
Someone had to get canned to the 360 failure rate scandal.
YEM's picture
Submitted by YEM on Tue, 07/17/2007 - 19:34
360Gate?
Jedi_Kez's picture
Submitted by Jedi_Kez on Wed, 07/18/2007 - 09:10
Wow 2 amazing things: 1) Peter Moore leaving M$. I actually liked that guy, he made things interesting (unlike anybody Sony throws on stage). 2) TANK posting a blog without a single link in it. I think the second thing mentioned is more amazing than the first ;)
TANK's picture
Submitted by TANK on Wed, 07/18/2007 - 10:04
what ?! Perhaps you didn't see my E3 summary blogs, no links there either :)

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