Overview
- Microsoft hired Moore to bring an aggressive challenger mindset and build Xbox into a distinct entertainment brand separate from the Microsoft corporate identity.
- Executives spent days war-gaming Sony’s strategy before launch, with Moore role-playing Ken Kutaragi to surface tactics they later deployed.
- Fear of Sony controlling the living room shaped Xbox 360 as a sleek, living-room-friendly entertainment hub with flexible vertical or horizontal placement.
- Launching ahead of PlayStation 3 and racing to a 10 million install base was central to Xbox 360’s momentum, creating a powerful network effect, Moore says.
- Moore cites landmark moves—like securing Grand Theft Auto IV’s simultaneous release and fostering Gears of War and Forza—while noting today’s Xbox strategy includes publishing on PlayStation.