BIZ: What's an example of something else you're trying to do?
Moore: We're also trying to globalize this business. We're in lock step with the NFL in their globalization plans. I flew to Wembley Stadium to see the Giants and the Dolphins play, which wasn't much of a game, but I got the chance to speak to the commissioner (Robert Goodell) about how we, with a tremendous global footprint, much bigger than the NFL, can help them spread the word.
BIZ: Now that you've been at EA Sports for a while, how have you been able to begin steering the company towards your vision?
Moore: It's going great. I love the atmosphere and the energy here. We're starting to really get our brand built. You're going to see some announcements this week about some of the brand building we're doing. The EA Sports brand is an incredibly powerful brand not only in the world of video games but in the world of sports, generally. Forbes Magazine put us as the number five brand in the world of sports just behind brands like Nike and ESPN.
We've been talking about the core business here, the simulation sports, but you saw our Facebreaker announcement last week. We need to do more of that. We need to get behind the Nintendo platforms more aggressively and online content a little bit more and globalize the business. We're still a little too much North American-centric for my liking and you'll see announcements over the coming months about IPs that are both licensed and unlicensed that will allow us to get a bigger market footprint in Europe and Asia, in particular.
BIZ: How has the label realignment within EA helped you with your direction at EA Sports?
Moore: I certainly wouldn't have come here if the label system wasn't in place...it would have been unattainable for me. The four labels now give four very direct lines of site and accountability. I run a business that is over $1 billion in revenue and over 1,500 people, primarily in Vancouver and Orlando. Running it as a business on its own, reporting directly into the president and CEO, but making all of the decisions here, was something that was badly lacking in the previous organization, which was pretty flat and horizontal. It gives me the ability to make decisions and do deals like this not only for the good of EA, but for the good of EA Sports, which is a major contributor for the company.
BIZ: Thanks Peter.
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