Xbox 360 Fanboy

Microsoft announced today that it has hired John Schappert, former executive vice president of Electronic Arts, as the corporate vice president of LIVE, software and services, a newly created position. In this new role, Schappert will oversee Xbox LIVE, Games for Windows LIVE, XNA, and Microsoft Casual Games. Schappert will report directly to the new senior vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, Don Mattrick (also formerly of EA). Mattrick is reportedly "thrilled" to have Schappert aboard, and notes that Schappert will help Microsoft "focus on expanding and enriching our market leadership with LIVE in areas like online services while broadening our audience."

What exactly Schappert's role entails, we're not quite sure, but we imagine we'll be hearing more from him soon. In the meantime, we have to wonder how many more executives Microsoft will be plucking from the ranks of Electronic Arts.

Microsoft has announced that Peter Moore, Vice President of their Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, has resigned from the company. Moore has decided to move his family back to California for "personal reasons" and has secured a new position in the games industry (rumored by 1UP to be EA Sports). He is to be replaced by former EA head, Don Mattrick, who joined Microsoft in February as a "strategic advisor." Mattrick will assume his new role at Microsoft beginning July 30.

Joystiq has a call scheduled with Microsoft later today. Keep your eye on their front page for more updates as they become available.

Update: Major Nelson has confirmed that Peter Moore will become the new president of EA's sports division.

Speaking to Game Informer, Don Mattrick and Peter Moore discuss the future of the Xbox 360. Specifically, Moore discusses the great stable of games heading to the platform -- Mass Effect, Forza 2, Too Human, etc. -- and how Microsoft plans to combat the tiny white elephant in the room, the Wii. According to Moore, Microsoft began to see the significance of the casual market when the Wii was still known as Revolution. Moore states that Microsoft's strategy is more than simply throwing more E rated games onto the 360, saying "it's more experiential than that." This quickly leads to the speculation that Microsoft may have a motion controller of its own in mind. At this point it remains pure speculation. After all, Mr. Moore could easily be talking about more games involving the Vision Camera. Whatever it is, Moore states that there will be announcements within the next couple of months. With any luck, we might just hear something during GDC next week.

Do you think Microsoft has a Wiimote up its sleeve, or is it something entirely different?

[Via Evil Avatar]

Sooner or later, everyone winds up working together. It should come as no surprise then, that former head of Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios, Don Mattrick, is joining Microsoft as a "strategic adviser" to the Entertainment and Devices division. The Entertainment and Devices group houses the Xbox 360 as well as the Zune. Peter Moore was ecstatic about the announcement, claiming that he had been looking forward to working with Mattrick since he left EA in 2006. Moore -- once the head of SEGA during the Dreamcast era -- claims that there is no bad blood between himself and Mattrick. Game history buffs will remember that EA refused to support the Dreamcast, has a long rivalry with SEGA sports, and was hesitant to allow its games on Xbox Live (seems they can't get enough of it now). Moore is happy to welcome Mattick, though he admits some disdain for EA CEO, Larry Probst.

Exactly what Mattrick will be doing seems unclear though it seems he will be heavily involved in developing concepts like Xbox Live. Mattrick admits that online gaming is the biggest trend in the industry and he hopes to push Microsoft to the top of that arena.

[Via Joystiq]