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Peter Moore on digital distribution, used game sales
Speaking to GI.biz, Peter Moore shared some of his thoughts on digital distribution and the future of games at retail. When asked whether we might see a day when yearly sports titles are released as downloadable patches instead of on retail discs, Moore said that Electronic Arts is trying many different things in the online space -- such as 3-on-3 NHL Arcade and NCAA March Madness Edition -- but has "no plans" to change its core business model. Moore stated further that moving to an update-only model for annual sports titles is "not as easy as it sounds" and that the data in a new sports title amounts to much more than a simple patch.Still, Moore believes -- as he did in his Dreamcast days -- that online is the future of the gaming business. Concerning retail, Moore noted that things like Xbox Live subscription cards are a good way for retailers to become part of online distribution. Regarding used games, Moore doesn't seem concerned with putting a stop to the practice, instead saying that publishers must find ways to monetize such consumers. Said Moore, "They still log-on, and we get access to them, so how do we sell them stuff?"Our suggestion: Rename all EA sports games Madden. That ought to do it.
Peter Moore says EA Sports is 'under-performing' on the Wii
In the past, Peter Moore has hinted at the tenuous relationship between the company he helms (EA Sports) and Nintendo's three-DVD-wide home console (the Wii). Yesterday, the leader of the highly athletic development studio fully acknowledged EA Sports' lackluster sales performance on the Wii in an interview with Eurogamer, stating, "when I look at the attach rate on the Wii of our software to where I think we should be, we're under-performing still, we need to do much better."Moore is hoping to claim a few extra slices of that sweet Wii pie with the studio's upcoming MotionPlus-infused sports titles, Tiger Woods 10 and Grand Slam Tennis. Of course, we can't have a story about Mr. Moore without one of his trademarked Awesomely Ostentatious Quotes: "Those two titles couldn't come at a better time for us, nor for Nintendo quite frankly." Oh, yeah. That one's going up on the fridge.
EA Sports' Peter Moore: Current PC business model isn't working for us
If EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore knows one thing really well, it's handling controversy surrounding his particular division of EA and the PC games market. After getting in trouble last year with PC gaming football fans for choosing not to produce Madden '09 on PC, he's back in it this year, telling Edge Magazine, "The business model right now, shipping a physical disc for the PC, simply isn't working for us." He's explained in the past his company's reasons for choosing as such, citing low sales numbers and PC gamers trending towards console sports gaming, and this time is no different. "I've got to find innovative ways to bring our content to life on the PC and online is the way that that's going to happen," he claims. Sounds like EA Sports has some digital distribution ideas up it's collective sleeve then, eh?
MI6: Peter Moore talks capturing Wii crowd, expanding reach
During a panel at the MI6 Games Marketing Summit, Peter Moore talked about EA Sports' philosophy when it comes to Wii. He warned against unnecessary ports, stating that it's wrong to "simply take what you're doing on the PS3 or Xbox 360 and port – that's a dirty word – down to the Wii," noting that EA Sports learned this the hard way. Now, through things like the All-Play brand, EA Sports is starting to develop experiences specifically for that console from the ground up.There's more to it than just that, as Moore points to a need for the company to develop "lifestyle" games, which is where EA Sports Active comes in. He says this game will help the company expand from the males that comprise the majority of its audience. Not that Moore wants to alienate them, though. EA Sports wouldn't exist without them.
First Madden '10 screen: Peter Moore invites us to play 'Spot the Improvements'
Peter Moore has unveiled a screenshot of Madden '10 on his blog, calling the game "the most detailed and comprehensive edition of Madden in the history of the franchise." He says that the development team will detail the improvements and additions made to this year's game in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, but that many changes are evident in this screenshot. The specific changes on display will be revealed later this week, but Moore asks, "How many improvements can you pick out?" More obtrusive referees? Helmet sheen? Improved rendering of distant Gatorade jugs?
Publishers push Sony for PS3 price cut
In one of the least surprising stories you're likely to read today, publishers seem to agree that their lives would be a lot better if Sony could knock a couple hundred bones off the price of the PS3. That's the word from Bloomberg today, who nabbed quotes from the likes of EA Sports' Peter Moore, who admitted, "Sony obviously still has a ways to go with their pricing," and Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot, who added, "Anytime a console manufacturer reduces the price, software publishers benefit."We'd love to make a snide comment here about EA and Ubisoft having nothing to lose from a PS3 price cut, but SCEA marketing boss Peter Dille beat us to it, commenting, "Everybody in the development community would love for the PS3 to be free, so they could just sell razor blades."We can empathize with both sides, but it does seem to us that Sony needs to do something big to get back in the game. What do you think?[Via CVG]
Peter Moore not so ignorant about World of Goo anymore
If you're unfamiliar with the story of 2D Boy, they left the corporate juggernaut EA, founded their own company and pretty much made one of the best games EVAR, World of Goo. Then Peter Moore saw it on some list and really didn't know what it was. Tunes change, however.Peter recently gave the game's demo a whirl and came away impressed. He found "a ton to admire" and said it was "full of impressive physics that make for an elegant and somewhat addictive experience." He promises more on his experience with the game later, so that's all he said for now.If you're interested in more from EA, like NASCAR Kart Racing, he goes on about it later in his blog post. Check out the full post here.%Gallery-16000%[Via 1UP]
2D Boy 'honored' by Peter Moore's World of Goo ignorance
Eurogamer posted its "Top 50 Games of 2008" list last week, and was immediately scolded by EA boss Peter Moore for daring to exclude FIFA 09. This story was picked up by numerous sites, but one detail that wasn't so heavily reported were Moore's views on the game that came tenth, World of Goo. Moore said he was "surprised to see [World of Goo] up so high," despite ... not having played it. For their part, 2D Boy (former employees of EA, no less) described the remark as a "compliment," and said they were "honored that World of Goo has crept this far into mainstream awareness." The pair have also confessed to deriving a "sick pleasure" from an "industry bigwig's indignant, self-righteous incredulity," though we suspect tongues were firmly placed in cheeks at this stage. %Gallery-16000%
Peter Moore: 'WTF? WHERE THE HELL IS FIFA 09' and other ruminations on Eurogamer's Top 50
Peter Man Tell 'Em has kicked off '09 with a wildly entertaining review of Eurogamer's "Top 50 Games of 2008," headlining with the question on all of our minds: Where The FIFA? From the outset, Peter Moore's rant makes it clear that his is a man's world, summoning well wishes for his distinctly heterosexual males club -- also known as EA Sports Nation: "I hope you all have had a restful few days and have been able to get your sports fix in front of the TV without your wife/girlfriend/mom/mum giving you a bad time ... " In Peter Man's real talk, there is no place for the seemingly sissy; games like Bangai-O Spirits or World of Goo. And Tomb Raider in the Top 50? No thanks. Who wants to play as ... a girl? (Note: Please excuse Boom Blox and Mirror's Edge's apparent lack of manliness -- trust Moore, it's in the game.) But, beneath the posturing exterior, Peter Man drops hints of latent insecurity. Though Moore has membership in an elite fraternity of buff game execs (true story: the presidency was decided by an arm wrestling match between Moore and Strauss -- guess who won?), he is just as susceptible as the rest of us are to body image issues perpetuated by games. How could Peter Man not be threatened by the sheer power of the Bangai-O bots? Or the Goo's killer combo of unrivaled flexibility and unnerving strength? Or Ms. Lara's emasculating sexuality? The real tell, though, is this: "I was surprised to see Wii Fit included [at #25], which I thought would make the top 10," writes Moore. Clearly, this is a man obsessed with mastering the physical potentials of the body. A perfect fit for EA Sports, then. And a great businessman to boot. While the media continues the "Wii dissing," Peter Man is heaping on the Nintendo praise. After all, a man's world is measured by units. And no one put more units in gamers' hands -- heck! under their feet, too -- than Nintendo did last year.
More Moore on EA Sports
MTV Multiplayer has posted another statement from EA Sports president Peter Moore about the company's prospects on Wii. Apparently the smiling athletes and "All-Play" control schemes are working, but not so much that sales of the Wii versions of their sports franchises are catching up to those on the other consoles. "The challenge we face is that that consumer gets Wii Sports right out of the box," Moore said, "and that's a sports experience that's good enough for a lot of people." Moore seems happy with the status of the Wii games as "secondary" versions, and selling them as companion pieces for multi-console owners. " I think there's going to be a very strong multi-console ownership in homes. And I think that's bearing out." It's an interesting strategy, and one that Moore hopes will cause sales of the Wii games to grow. It's also interesting for Moore to so frankly discuss the lack of market dominance on the Wii.Does anyone else think that if there's one segment of the video game market that isn't dominated by EA Sports, it isn't such a bad thing? In fact, it's nice to have a bit of variety in the industry.
EA Sports' Moore tackling the 'challenge' of Wii Sports
"The challenge we face is that that consumer gets 'Wii Sports' right out of the box and that's a sports experience that's good enough for a lot of people," EA Sports president Peter Moore told MTV Multiplayer. "That is a challenge for us at times."That's the explanation for the notable disparity in sales between EA Sports titles aimed at the casual-friendly Wii, and those released on other systems. While selling over two million copies on PS2, Xbox 360 and PS3 combined last August, Madden NFL 08 managed around 100,000 copies on the Wii. Moore seems pleased with the success among the hardcore and sees indications of a "very strong multi-console ownership," but admits that there is work yet to be done. "We're going to keep pounding away," he said. "We know what we were doing wrong."Well, that's easy then. Stop doing that. You can hire us at your earliest convenience, Mr. Moore.
Smile! You're on EA Sports All-Play
If you've got multiple EA Sports All-Play games, you may have noticed a commonality among the boxarts beyond the normally consistent design scheme: the cover athletes are all grinning. Well, except for this guy. It's not just because they've been paid several thousand dollars to have their photograph taken -- the smiles were a corporate mandate, from the mind of Peter Moore!Moore believed that a smiling athlete on the cover "embodies the experience" of All-Play. He explained to MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John: "If you played Madden on the Wii and you're playing with guys with the heads the size of five watermelons, it's hard not to smile. We wanted to be able to deliver that experience on the packaging."Does that mean that playing an EA Sports game on another console is a grueling trial?
EA Sports dedicated to casual focus
EA's Facebreaker didn't fare so well on the Xbox 360 and PS3 when it released. The Wii version, Facebreaker K.O. Party, just released this week and, well, we're not too optimistic for that, either. How about Peter Moore and the folks at EA Sports? They're staying the course, apparently. "We're going to maintain our core relationships with our male consumer but our growth really is going to come from ... looking after the new consumer on the Nintendo Wii with innovative experiences that they wouldn't expect from EA sports, looking at new brands like Freestyle, looking at the Wii with our All Play collection," Moore said. "We're not blind to the fact that new consumers coming in are not necessarily hardcore sports fans that are looking for the experience we deliver with a Madden or a FIFA or with an NHL."That's all well and good, Peter. But, we're not sure Facebreaker is the kind of title that would captivate the casual. Just because it's casual doesn't mean that it has to be some quick, slapped-together minigame compilation or shallow gameplay experience. If you want to captivate the casual, you need to take a risk on something new and engaging. Not cartoonish figures boxing in a ridiculous, over-the-top manner or trying to copy Nintendo.
EA's Moore maintains 'mass market' mantra
It may surprise you to learn that EA wants more people to buy its games -- specifically, the people who don't normally buy games. It's certainly a sound strategy (just ask Nintendo), and one that EA Sports president Peter Moore has developed a clear fondness for. Speaking at a recent and still laboriously named BMO Capital Markets Interactive Entertainment Conference (via Gamasutra), the ex-Microsoft mouthpiece stuck to his more-is-more message. "We need to grow into a more mass market company, and at the same time we need to make sure we're digitizing our content, we're having deeper and more meaningful relationships direct to consumers," said Moore. He described some EA Sports titles as being "too hard," suggesting that "more approachable and accessible" content was in order. Ignoring Facebreaker's glass jaw for a moment, perhaps the company will find its (possibly overweight) audience with forthcoming fitness package, EA Sports Active.
EA Sports Active shaping up for Spring '09 Wii-lease
Let's pretend for a moment that, just like us, you absolutely love physical exercise. With that out of the way, we can dive right into discussion of EA's new fitness game, EA Sports Active. Developed in collaboration with Bob Greene (he's Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, it says here), the Wii-exclusive sweat-em-up will launch in Spring 2009. Though deemed "perfect for the whole family," EA Sports Active also claims to be "designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle." Said lifestyle is achieved through a variety of cardiovascular workouts on a "Fitness roadmap," coaxed along by on-screen feedback and enabled by two Nunchuk-holding leg straps, as well as a resistance band for upper body training. The Wii's Balance Board peripheral will add further functionality to several exercises. And don't think this is just EA warming up. According to EA Sports president Peter Moore, Active "is a true fitness revolution and a space in which we intend to be leaders." Let's see if the publisher has the stamina to keep up with the runaway success of Wii Fit. %Gallery-36788%
Moore: Rare's skillset 'not applicable' in today's market
Day three of The Guardian's interview series with ex-Xbox chief Peter Moore is another great read – unless you're a Rare employee, that is. Moore isn't shy with his feelings about the developer, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2002 for $377 million. (That's more than 30 billion !) Moore confesses that Microsoft "had a tough time getting [the old] Rare back," stating that it was "trying all kinds of classic Rare stuff" and that "the industry had past Rare by." He acknowledges that, "It's a strong statement, but what they were good at, new consumers didn't care about anymore," adding that, "It was tough because they were trying very hard to try and recreate the glory years of Rare, which is the reason Microsoft paid a lot of money for them." He calls Rare "great people," but feels that "their skillsets were from a different time and a different place and were not applicable in today's market." We don't know, Pete – people seem to like Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise just fine.
Built-in HDD 'prematurely' killed off the original Xbox
"The hard drive in every Xbox killed us" admitted Peter Moore who, in an interview with guardian, mentioned that it and the cost associated with the drives was one of the main reasons Microsoft chose to move away from the original Xbox so quickly. The Xbox's built-in HDD was "why we prematurely left the original" Moore admitted, "we were still selling it [the console] at $199 and the hard drive was like $70 ... it was killing us, and there was no way to bring the price down. So in the end we determined at around the 25 million unit mark that we just needed to slow this thing down and just not sell any more, and move to the 360 as quickly as we possibly could." Intriguing. Maybe now with the 360's not so mandatory HDD, we'll see a console life cycle that'll last beyond five years. Maybe?[Via Shacknews]
Peter Moore talks death of the Dreamcast
We just poured out some virtual ones for our fallen homey the Dreamcast, and now Peter Moore has recalled his fond memories of the labor pains and death throes of the unfortunate console with The Guardian.As you read the whole account, it's interesting to see that the Dreamcast didn't actually die, it just didn't get huge quick enough. It's a solemn reminder of why you don't see more smaller companies with limited cash flow trying (and succeeding) to get into the console game. Oh, and if you don't care about gaming history in the slightest, you can at least read about Peter Moore playing against Ice Cube in NBA 2K1. So, you know, there's a little something for everybody.
GC 2008: Peter Moore doesn't want to punish pirates
Despite his fondness for authentic, handmade pirate headwear, Peter Moore was talking about video game pirates at the Leipzig Games Convention, telling Eurogamer that he doesn't think the rapscallions should be made to walk the plank. After all, that didn't work when the record industry tried to sue people for illegally downloading music, Moore reminds us.Granted, this doesn't mean he wants people to run out and torrent the latest EA title but "there are better solutions than chasing people for money," Moore says. "I'm not sure what they are, other than to build game experiences that make it more difficult for there to be any value in pirating games."So will Moore change his tune and start keelhauling PC pirates? Probably not, since he's "not a huge fan of trying to punish your consumer." Avast, me buckos! Might we expect a subscription-based Madden on PC then?
EA Sports' Moore sets sights on eclipsing Nike brand
Peter Moore is on a mission. In an interview with MCV, the EA Sports president is looking to poise his company as "the leading sports brand in the world." That's a rather ambitious claim, given the brand dominance of sports industry companies such as ESPN, Nike and his former employer Reebok.Said Moore, "We need to globalize our business, provide even more opportunities for our customers to interact with us online, knock down the barriers to those who find the learning curve of our games too steep, and discover new areas in sports – and health and wellness – in which our brand can truly make a difference." In other words, Moore is looking to expand the demographic and potential audience of EA Sports titles to every human in existence. May we suggest Michael Phelps Pro S-wii-ming 2009 for the Nintendo Wii?
