In what suggests that Peter Moore's departure from Microsoft is less of a 'shock' and more of a well-managed exit, he will continue to contribute to Microsoft's gaming and entertainment division until the end of August this year.

The soon-to-be-EA-Sports-head, Moore, is apparently living out the last month or so of his contract by 'assisting' new boy, Don Mattrick.

In related news, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach, has responded publicly to the shock departure of Peter Moore to Electronic Arts.

In what has to be seen as a fire fighting exercise, Bach commented today, "Peter has contributed enormously to the games business since joining Microsoft in 2003 and we are sad to see him go. Since that time, he presided over the global launch of the Xbox 360, spearheaded a revitalized and rebranded Games for Windows business, and helped steer the console's ascent."

Speaking about Mattrick, Bach said, "Don is well-known and respected throughout the industry for his deep knowledge, technical expertise and management savvy. Under Don's leadership, the games team is looking forward to embarking on our biggest holiday ever, with a wide-ranging roster of some of the most highly anticipated titles."

By 'holiday' we don't think Robbie is saying that he's going to treat the team to an all-expenses paid trip to Blackpool using all the money he's recently made selling Microsoft shares. We reckon he's talking about Christmas.

For his part, Mattrick is impressed and thrilled (and he's never been Moore excited), saying, "Over the past two decades, and the past few months in particular, I've worked closely with many of Microsoft's top leaders and I've always been impressed by their talent, passion and commitment. I'm thrilled to join an already strong team that's delivering truly amazing gaming experiences to customers around the world. I've never been more excited about the future of the industry, and firmly believe Microsoft will lead the next great innovations in gaming."

So, we wait with bated breath for the next chapter...

^{Source: Eflux}