Buckle up, gamers! We're diving deep into the high-octane years of the console wars with Peter Moore, the charismatic powerhouse behind the Xbox 360's seismic showdown with the PlayStation 3. In a candid chat with Eurogamer, Moore reveals the electrifying strategy that propelled the Xbox 360 into the hearts and hands of gamers worldwide.
Moore knew the secret sauce: "You’ve got this flywheel effect... if your mate in the schoolyard's got one, you better get one," he exclaimed. With the Xbox 360 launching ahead of Sony's PS3, the race was on, and hitting that magic number—10 million units—was the heart-thumping milestone that spun the gaming world into a frenzy.
"I think it was really important to get it out first," Moore noted. "Get going, get momentum, and aim for that 10 million installed base that I felt would give us an amazing advantage over whatever Sony could do to catch up." It was a thrilling race, and the Xbox 360 crossed that finish line in spectacular fashion, leaving the PS3 trailing behind.
Moore's strategy wasn't just about selling consoles; it was about creating a gaming community, one that surged with each sold unit. "All of a sudden you're out of place… if you're not coming to school, or going to class… and saying what a night we had playing Halo," he added, painting a vivid picture of the social buzz that made the Xbox 360 a must-have.
Despite the PS3's eventual lifetime sales triumph, the Xbox 360 still resonates as the era-defining champ for many gamers, a sentiment galvanizing the gaming world in the late 2000s—though the Wii's meteoric rise would say otherwise.
Moore was Microsoft's ace up the sleeve, recruited to challenge Sony's console clout. He famously championed the idea of a console war, enticing healthy competition and lighting a fire under the Xbox brand—a brand that rose from "nerdy" office resident to living room legend.
With tattoos proclaiming his gaming gospel, Moore's antics were not just fun; they were pivotal in reshaping the Xbox into an irreverently cool juggernaut. This was all before the console wars simmered, as Microsoft and Sony now crisscross gaming platforms, even with PlayStation's historic climb over Xbox sales as recently as 2025.
As the dueling dust settles, remember this: Xbox's legacy isn't fading—it’s evolving, seizing the software spotlight, and aligning with the industry’s crème de la crème developers. Who knew the skies of the console wars would remain oh, so vibrant?