Mr. Moore's appointment rounds out the leadership of John Riccitiello's recent reorganization of EA into four autonomous Labels. Frank Gibeau serves as president of the EA Games Label; Kathy Vrabeck is president of EA Casual Entertainment; and Nancy Smith is president of The Sims Label.
"Peter Moore's proven record of leadership in games and sports makes him a terrific fit for heading up EA SPORTS," said EA CEO John Riccitiello. "As a partner at Microsoft and earlier, as a competitor, we've learned to respect his vision and leadership."
"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 Peter Moore. "I couldn't be more excited about joining EA and moving my family back to the San Francisco Bay Area."
At Microsoft, Mr. Moore was the president of the Xbox and Games for Windows businesses as well as game development at Microsoft Game Studios. Mr. Moore joined Microsoft in January 2003, originally as the head of marketing for the Xbox and Games division, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience and leadership in consumer businesses. Prior to joining Microsoft, Mr. Moore was president and COO of SEGA of America, where he was responsible for overseeing SEGA's video game business in North America. Before that, Mr. Moore was senior vice president of marketing at Reebok International Ltd., and earlier in his career, he was president of Patrick USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the popular French sportswear company, managing all the company's marketing, sales, finance and distribution.
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(TM), 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."