Microsoft exec to head EA Sports label

Electronic Arts on Tuesday named Peter Moore, the head of Microsoft's video game business, as president of its new EA Sports label, completing a reorganization that began in February with the rise of John Riccitiello to chief executive.

Moore, just one week removed from leading the charge for Microsoft at the E3 video game conference, returns to the Bay Area, where he served as president and chief operating officer for Sega of America in San Francisco. He plans to remain with Microsoft through August before formally joining Redwood City's EA in September.

Moore's departure opens up room coincidentally for former EA President Don Mattrick, who will assume Moore's post July 31. Mattrick, the former president of Worldwide Studios at EA until his resignation in February last year, brings 23 years of experience to his new job.

At EA, the world's largest video game publisher, executives are excited about the prospect of welcoming Moore and his strong background in video gaming, sports and online networks.

"Peter Moore's proven record of leadership in games and sports makes him a terrific fit for heading up EA Sports," Riccitiello said in a statement. "As a partner at Microsoft and earlier, as a competitor, we've learned to respect his vision and leadership."

Moore said he is excited to join EA and move his family back to the Bay Area; his son attends UC Berkeley.

"The people at EA Sports have created one of the strongest brands in the entertainment industry and John Riccitiello is building an organization which will extend the company's leadership to new platforms and new audiences all over the world," said Moore.

Riccitiello announced this year his intention to reorganize EA into four labels: EA Sports, EA Games, EA Casual Entertainment and the Sims. Naming Moore completes the executive team.

EA's sports lineup, which accounts for about 2 out of every 3 dollars spent on sports titles in North America, generated about $1 billion in revenue last year with top games like Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and FIFA Soccer. Before joining Microsoft in 2003 and his time at Sega, Moore was head of marketing at Reebok.

EA spokesman Jeff Brown said Moore not only brings a lot of sports and video game experience, but he has helped Xbox Live become the leader in online console gaming, an increasingly important facet of the video game business.

"No one's mastered online like the Xbox," said Brown. "Peter has a great idea about what gamers want out of their online experience."

Brown said the overall reorganization puts more autonomy and responsibility in the hands of the label presidents, allowing them to address the company goals of fostering accessibility for its games, improving the online experience and growing internationally.

For Microsoft, the shuffle at the top comes as the company heads toward the important fall and holiday selling season. Microsoft has an early lead in the console race with its Xbox 360 but faces stiff competition from Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation, which announced a $100 price cut last week.

Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, said Mattrick's experience, depth of knowledge and keen eye for innovation make him a perfect fit for the job. Mattrick, who joined Microsoft as an adviser in February, said he's prepared for the challenges ahead of him.

"The first thing to do is focus on the task at hand," said Mattrick. "We've got a great lineup and we're going to execute on that. We're going to continue our vision and grow in the future."

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