Peter Moore established quite a reputation for himself in the videogame industry, as an executive at Sega, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts, where he served most recently as the "Chief Competition Officer" of its esports division. So it came as an honest surprise when, in February, he announced that he'd be leaving it all behind to become CEO of the famed Liverpool FC. Today was his last day in the industry, and he said goodbye in style, in both a written message and in a retrospective video on YouTube.
"I am leaving behind thousands of great memories that comprise the career journey of a lifetime," Moore wrote in a message shared on Twitter (via NeoGAF—his tweets are protected, but I hope he'll forgive this one intrusion.) "From the advent of online gaming (albeit via a 56K modem), to the 'console wars,' and now to games as 365 days a year, live experiences, I have been fortunate to have borne witness to the amazing growth of this, our wonderful gaming industry."
Moore said he is "in awe" of the creative abilities of the people who work in the game industry, and called on gamers to "take a deep breath and a moment of reflection occasionally and admire the incredible creativity of the medium you love. And if a game disappoints, provide constructive feedback, not the vitriol that is unfortunately so prevalent nowadays."
"As for me, I am crystal clear in understanding that I was merely the front man for your brilliant achievements, the 'suit' that sometimes did goofy, cheesy stunts and speeches to draw attention to your phenomenally creative talent," he wrote. "I move on now, not to a job, but more of a calling. With one more crank of the self-reinvention wheel, I am taking on a new and unique challenge, one that's roots are embedded in my heart."
The video follows his career trajectory from the early days at Sega, through the launch of the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, and his eventual arrival at EA. He meets a lot of famous people along the way, shows off some tattoos, and even slips in a little joke about killing the Dreamcast: "A small sample of the immense fun that I have had working in games over the past 18 years," he wrote. "I hope some of these memories bring a smile to your face and further validation of how lucky we all are to be a part of this unique and vibrant medium."
As we noted when his departure was announced, Moore was actually born in Liverpool and has been a long-standing supporter of its footbal club. His former boss at EA, CEO Andrew Wilson said Moore will "leave an incredible legacy" at the company, and described him "a statement and advocate for our industry."
