Former EA and Microsoft executive Peter Moore said there are “serious questions” to be asked about video game hardware and whether there is a future for traditional home console systems.
Moore, who held senior roles at EA, Microsoft and Sega before leaving the gaming industry completely to join Liverpool FC in 2017, reflected on the losses suffered with each new generation of consoles, saying: “Companies and gamers ”, players don't have to “spend $5, $600 on custom hardware just to play the game.”
Newscast: Why are there so many layoffs in the games industry?
“I think this is a really serious question, and I'm sure it's being asked in Tokyo, in Redmond, Washington, in Kyoto,” Moore told IGN's hilarious Wes Inpool. “That's what everyone is grappling with right now, because when you launch that next generation, you have to be ready to absorb billions of dollars in losses.
“And given all the redundancies and everything that we're going through at the moment, is the industry ready for that? Look at Sony laying off 900 people. In the UK. That’s quite a number of people.”
After reflecting on the impact of AI, Moore added: “Are these companies going to invest another billion dollars? At the same time, they're preparing for another cycle where gamers might not embrace consoles and say, 'Okay. Or? This is not necessary. These are difficult times. I have a mobile phone. I enjoy what I have on my phone. There are many games you can play. If that's not possible, then of course you can use your PC or Mac to do whatever you need to do on it, and why spend $5 or $600 on custom hardware just to play a game? So why companies and gamers themselves are asking this question?”
Moore left EA in 2017 to take the CEO role at Liverpool FC, leaving behind a video game career that began at Sega during the Dreamcast era and had notable tenures at Microsoft and EA.
“Passion is essential to all of us at Electronic Arts,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in a public statement confirming Moore's departure. “It's what gets us up in the morning and motivates us to do extraordinary things. And if you've ever met Peter Moore, you know that he literally wears his passion for Liverpool FC on his sleeve. So we're very excited that we're doing something like this.''Congratulations to Peter on pursuing his dream of becoming the next CEO of his beloved Liverpool Football Club. ”
In 2020, Moore became an advisor to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, as well as Wrexham AFC.
