Microsoft "completely fixated on Sony" - Moore

via Computer and Video Games


Ex-Xbox head Peter Moore has revealed how Microsoft was "completely fixated on Sony" with its Xbox Strategy.

Speaking in the second part of an interview with The Guardian, Moore revealed that Nintendo wasn't even considered when discussing console strategies with Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer (and now Wii's at the top).

"In January (2003) I flew up [to Redmond] and had lunch with Steve Ballmer and you don't say no to Ballmer," Moore said, discussing his route into Xbox. "We had a great lunch and he convinced me that Microsoft was going to take on Sony; so I get to put on my suit of armour, get on my horse and take on Sony again - but with a little bit more money this time!"

It was a classic "build or buy" conversation, said the now EA Sport boss. "Xbox had launched but it was an aggressive black box for shooters, and how do we evolve that, how do we build the next Xbox, how do we get after Sony?

"Interestingly, we were just completely fixated on Sony," Moore revealed. "Nintendo didn't even come into the conversation. But Steve was very compelling, particularly when you're one-on-one with him in his office - we talked about what we'd done to compete with Sony, where I felt their weaknesses were."

Microsoft had "a little bit of a concern" with Sony, Moore added. "We wanted to keep them out of the living room, from a software and services perspective," he said.

"He wanted my attitude, he didn't care what I'd achieved at Sega, he wanted to know how I was going to win for Microsoft, how we were going to take on Sony, how would we compete with - or acquire - Nintendo. Those were the conversations in those days."

And now Microsoft's out there chasing Nintendo's mainstream success. We won't point out the irony - that'd be mean.