Microsoft's Moore Defects To Electronic Arts

With E3 still warm in its grave, rumours of stock dumps and announcements of billion dollar repair bills, the last thing Microsoft shareholders need to hear is that Peter Moore has left the company. He will head up EA's lucrative - but dull - Sports division.

Moore is currently corporate vice president of interactive entertainment business, entertainment and devices division - A.K.A. "Mr Xbox" - and he's going to join Electronic Arts at the behest of its CEO, John Riccitiello.

Taking the now ex-Microsoft man's corner office will be Don Mattrick, former head of Electronic Arts' Worldwide Studios, who has been an 'external' advisor to Microsoft's troubled gaming division since February this year having left EA in February 2006.

Many will immediately see this as a "swap" and will immediately read in some kind of relationship being formalised between the two giant organisations. If this is the case, however, neither company is supporting it with any kind of official announcement or hint.

In fact, it smacks more of EA's re-alignment of its own gaming leadership plus some old business warriors coming together. The Associated Press quotes EA's Riccitiello as stating that having competed with Moore - then at Reebok. while he was at Wilson Sporting Goods . "(Riccitiello's) wanted to recruit Moore for a decade."

Moore's replacement, Mattrick, had been at EA for 15 years before taking up his consultancy role at Microsoft.

Of course, Microsoft stock holders may be breathing short term sighs of relief: both companies saw stocks rise on the news: EA's stock by $1.38, closing at $49.47 - higher than Microsoft's $30.7, which saw a 75 cents rise.