Peter Moore tipped as next EA boss, Riccitiello’s “track record of mis-executions” to

The next EA CEO is likely to be Peter Moore after a John Riccitiello reign blighted by ‘mis-executions’ came to an end yesterday.That’s the verdict from the financial press this morning as EA begins the search for a new CEO. TheBloomberg report quotes Ascendiant Capital Markets analyst Edward Woo as saying that Medal Of Honor and Star Wars: The Old Republic each failed to meet expectations, with EA’s recent SimCity launch also encountering problems.“He lasted a pretty long time given that the company hasn’t really performed that well,” said Woo. “The fact that their stock is up on the news goes to show investors weren’t that big a fan of Riccitiello.”EA’s chief operating officer Peter Moore is the top candidate to fill the vacancy, according to Woo. “It’s his to lose,” he added.Reuters’ report on the former EA boss’ reign suggests that the exit was no surprise. Riccitiello had “a track record of mis-executions,” according to analyst at National Alliance Capital Markets Mike Hickey.Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said that EA’s stock had been underperforming and that “this most recent quarter was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”R.W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian added: “We believe timing makes sense for a CEO transition at the end of the fiscal year, and ahead of next generation console launches and a strong second-half title lineup (Battlefield and EA Sports),”The Wall Street Journal suggests that Riccitiello’s heavy investment and mixed record in increasing the company’s output on PC, Facebook and mobile platforms made his departure the right choice. EA’s move to emulate many of Zynga’s tactics and the colossal investment in Star Wars: The Old Republic in an attempt to make it EA’s own World Of Warcraft were cited as the missteps. The report also notes the $275 million acquisition of PlayFish and the $1.3 billion spent on PopCap Games, though EA’s progress on the App Store is seen as one of its most notable successes.Riccitiello could be in line for an exit package of around $4.7 million, adds the report, which could still rise if EA stock recovers.

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