Peter Moore resigns from Microsoft, replaced by Don Mattrick [update 1]

by Richard Mitchell { Jul 17th 2007 at 4:40PM }

Microsoft has announced that Peter Moore, Vice President of their Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, has resigned from the company. Moore has decided to move his family back to California for "personal reasons" and has secured a new position in the games industry (rumored by 1UP to be EA Sports). He is to be replaced by former EA head, Don Mattrick, who joined Microsoft in February as a "strategic advisor." Mattrick will assume his new role at Microsoft beginning July 30.

Joystiq has a call scheduled with Microsoft later today. Keep your eye on their front page for more updates as they become available.

Update: Major Nelson has confirmed that Peter Moore will become the new president of EA's sports division.

Tags: buisness, donmattrick, microsoft, petermoore

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mark @ Jul 17th 2007 4:47PM

Wait, he just convinced us at E3 that Xbox360 was the best platform. Why did he jump ship? What isn't he telling us?

Personal reasons? Isn't that code for "forced to resign"?

J8675309 @ Jul 17th 2007 4:49PM

Man, that sucks, he was a cool dude, and then he goes to EA, blegh.

J8675309 @ Jul 17th 2007 4:49PM

Man, that sucks, he was a cool dude, and then he goes to EA, blegh.

Bishop @ Jul 17th 2007 4:49PM

Sounds fishy, but personally I wouldn't mind seeing what someone else can do in his position.

PeterLesse @ Jul 17th 2007 4:50PM

In the words of Nelson Muntz:

"Ha Ha!"

LessIsMoore @ Jul 17th 2007 4:50PM

So, looks like the Sega Dreamcast days all over again huh?

http://www.joystiq.com/media/2007/05/peter_moore_dreamcast_tat.jpg

Synapse49 @ Jul 17th 2007 4:55PM

O M G

Wow. Just wow.

Arno @ Jul 17th 2007 4:57PM

Wow that sucks..

VampireHunter Z @ Jul 17th 2007 5:00PM

Noooo, is this some kind of joke? I think he was doing great. Don't tell me that being the public face of MSFT is too much pressure. Moving to EA is major step back on the career ladder. I hope it's not related to the whole failure rate thing.

They should just bring back J Allard.

Adam @ Jul 17th 2007 5:00PM

Awwww, great guy.

An EA Sports president having a bungie and rockstar tattoo......lol.

PS3FANBOY @ Jul 17th 2007 5:01PM

He's President of EA's sports division now

Bad news for a PS3 fan

: [

Geoff @ Jul 17th 2007 5:05PM

And now we know why 2K Sports' All-Pro Football 2K8 got no hype during the MS press conference: Moore was already running up a tab with EA Sports. Madden, on the other hand, was featured prominently.

un1qu3 n3wy0rk @ Jul 17th 2007 5:06PM

He will be missed.

AoE @ Jul 17th 2007 5:08PM

This sucks. :( I can understand his reasoning.... but replace Peter Moore and his sega lineage with a souless fuck from EA (I can only assume that's what he is, being a former EA exec)... this does not bode well.

@Mark,

It could be forced to resign, but I'm willing to be since he's moving back to northern cali that EA probably made an offer he couldn't refuse... which isn't too hard, the SF bay area > redmond any day of the week.

sicklesdawg @ Jul 17th 2007 5:09PM

how is bad 4 ps3 business is business. different company same $$

Bravo6 @ Jul 17th 2007 5:09PM

Madden 09 360 exclusive ftw

gg sony

Jonah Falcon @ Jul 17th 2007 5:10PM

Bye Peter. You made temporary tattoos cool.

Furen @ Jul 17th 2007 5:12PM

I would guess that someone had to take the fall for the $1.1B charge that MS had to take due to the defective Xbox360 fiasco. His new job is hardly a promotion and it allows Microsoft to tell stockholders that there will be a new direction in the Entertainment and Devices Division. It's a shame, though, since I found his new open attitude quite likable.

JeremyK @ Jul 17th 2007 5:19PM

The only bad thing about this news is they're replacing him with a former EA guy. Yuck...

Shyn @ Jul 17th 2007 5:20PM

Crap, that guy was great!

ANt @ Jul 17th 2007 5:32PM

Good riddance, he was an annoying D-Bag.

Don't feel bad for this guy, he walks away a multi millionaire.

AlanS17 @ Jul 17th 2007 5:43PM

@16 Don't be an idiot. He's not working for MS anymore (even though it may still prove to be his favoriote platform). He's working for EA Sports. His new priority is to make money for his new employer.

There's no incentive to go exclusive with any EA Sports game. They've been cross-platform through several generations, and will stay that way. There's nothing to gain by going exclusive for a sports game. In fact that's probably a great way to lose your NFL license.

Gemini Ace @ Jul 17th 2007 5:55PM

I hate to hear this, but if he's happy then so be it.

GeneralGrey @ Jul 17th 2007 6:00PM

Sigh, the only thing worse than Peter Moore leaving is...well I can't think of anything. Maybe the entire supply of 360s undergoing spontaneous combustion or Ken Kutaragi becoming Master of the Universe...Oh well, I suppose we'll just have to deal with an 23 year EA alumni as a replacement for the face of the 360.

Adam Sutherland @ Jul 17th 2007 6:09PM

Hopefully this means EA Sports games will stop sucking now.

Ithilis @ Jul 17th 2007 6:12PM

I wonder if this had anything to do with him being the face of the warranty debacle. Oh well, he'll be missed. For those of you that are saying "good riddance," keep in mind that it was this guy that would have secured GTAIV and other once-exclusives from Sony. He did a good job, but it'll be interesting to see if the new guy can do better..

kered @ Jul 17th 2007 6:17PM

You got to give him some serious respect for trying to do everything he could for the X360. He's the reason that we have as many good games now and in the near future.

tobin92 @ Jul 17th 2007 6:19PM

He isn't leaving because the Xbox 360 is "failing" nor doing anything wrong. He is simply making a business move. The head of EA Sports is a huge job which has a lot of power and much more money. It is like moving from being a traveling PR head in one company to a cushy executive job where you are the boss and make your own hours...etc.

....No to mention I doubt many you have seen EA's headquarter....They have pools,gyms,drom like room,arcades,loads of free stocks with a 15%+ discount beyond that.......Not to mention a $60,000 starting salary for an entry level worker.....I would take the job.

Bravo6 @ Jul 17th 2007 7:14PM

#22 AlanS17

Are you that stupid that you can't recognize an obvious JOKE? You're the idiot for taking that seriously, fool.

THA1icarus @ Jul 17th 2007 7:25PM

He got the RED RING OF DEATH. Well the best wishes to him.

bigd7387 @ Jul 17th 2007 7:34PM

Ok this is great news for everyone really. We get a former EA head and EA Sports gets someone who can help make Madden better. Also everyone is soo smart here, it wasn't forced, Mattrick joined MS in February, so this has been in the works for a while. E3 had to be completed for this to go public. Probably old news at MS.

Toph @ Jul 17th 2007 7:40PM

For once, I don't call 'business cover-up' here. I think EA offered Moore a buttload of $$$ to head up their sports division and he took it. Maybe it was the fact also that Moore will be utilizing his sports background again and that'd be something he's wanting.

Regardless, yeah; I don't think this is some sort of buisness snafu fire or something.
I have to say that Xbox 360 isn't amazing at getting the 'other' gamers..that casual market. Scene It and Viva Pinata are good, but not enough to win over most people. Maybe this new Don Mattrick guy can bring in some more artillery for that fight.

Mr. Mattrick, if you read this, please take care not to change the 'flavor' of Xbox 360 any. It's primarily a hardcore gamers' console of choice and we like it that way. Don't add in many more advertisements, and please don't make our games lineup 'soft' in any way. Take chances, but stick to us, the core audience of men 18-35 or so. We love our stuff the way it is! Just add to it, don't detract.

cjnwo4life @ Jul 17th 2007 7:43PM

Considering that Don had been "The seasoned exec has been working as an external advisor for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division since February 2007" tells me that peter was on his way out the door. Working in the corporate world, you would know that whenever someone else comes on board as an advisor, generally that means the person in charge is about to be fired or in most cases they look for another job to save face. That is what happened here.

Also, Don has been working since Feb, which means he was probably the one to push for the warrenty extension and I am sure MS thought peter was to blame for the whole mess in the first place.

Fresh blood is always a good thing and it will be good for MS and us gamers as changes are about to come about.

ccc @ Jul 17th 2007 8:12PM

heh, Its a cover up. He was fired for messing up the live demo of rock band @ E3. And failing to mention that Katamari was a 360 exclusive during his speach with the game looking him right in the face, again, @ E3.

No, seriously.......
Why did he moved out west, for personal reasons, then get a job as president of EA's sports division?

Sports division? As in EA Tiberon? As in EA Tiberon located ONLY in Orlando Fl?

sovietdancinbear @ Jul 17th 2007 8:46PM

Does this mean his next tat will be John Madden on his his chest?

Tarl @ Jul 17th 2007 9:25PM

Well, Peter will be missed for sure. I really am interested to know why the change though. I don't really see him being forced out of Microsoft. And as for being in charge of EA's Sport division, well, I don't really see him in that position either. But I do see EA with the money to do it, and heaven knows EA has done some crazier things before...not all of them smart, or cheap.

M. Dizzy @ Jul 17th 2007 9:27PM

Ummmm...I'm guess he wasn't forced out of anywhere...according to EA's SEC filing, he's getting a pretty penny. 1.5 Million dollar signing bonus, up to 900k a year salary, and 400 thousand options for EA stock
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6175226.html?tag=latestnews;title;2

Peter Moore is probably sitting back thinking right now "I'M RICH B***H!

M. Dizzy @ Jul 17th 2007 9:37PM

Hmmm...1.5 million dollar signing bonus up to 900k per year in salary and 400 thousand stock options. You don't get that kind of deal unless they're luring you away from a company, not if you're already on the way out.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6175226.html?tag=latestnews;title;2

T Ghost @ Jul 17th 2007 9:40PM

When the rats start jumping the ship...

I'm really concerned something REALLY REALLY bad will happen to the XBOX 360...

cRANKbALL @ Jul 17th 2007 10:23PM

lawl cuz he sux0re3d at r0ckb4ndz1111!

Beesmum @ Jul 17th 2007 11:13PM

I had the distinct honor of working on Don Matrick's property when he lived in Vancouver for a lawn/gardening company. He had a huge(I mean city block huge) plot of land near the University, really beautiful and scenic, looking onto the ocean. I only met him once or twice myself, but he was always really polite and courteous, a stand up sort of fellow. Can't help but add class to Microsoft's public image. Kudos to him.

Darko @ Jul 17th 2007 11:21PM

I foresee many EA 360 exclusives in the future.... Mewahahahahahaha

Titty Pink @ Jul 17th 2007 11:50PM

Big fish in a big pond to big fish in a small pond. Smart move. He may just be looking for a new challenge. Millionaires tend to do that from time to time. As far as Madden being better or worse, the best way to make that happen is to BUY THE 2K FOOTBALL. Without any significant competition, the series will continue to look better and suck worse every year. Until someone can seriously challenge that monopoly, Madden is doomed to not be as good as it can be (whether it sux or not). Speaking of the PS3 suffering for this, at E3 the EA rep really talked around the idea of the next Madden being built on the PS3 first. (of course big wigs talk around EVERYTHING when the camera is on), but it'll be interesting. Maybe he'll be the one to stop the Madden curse...