Former Xbox boss explains why Microsoft might back out of console race

Peter Moore, the former boss of Xbox and former president of Sega of America, has explained in a recent interview why he thinks there may not be a successor to the Xbox Series X|S. 

In a March 8 interview with IGN, Moore says the signs are pointing to Microsoft, as well as other console manufacturers, being on their last legs. According to Moore, gaming is still very popular but isn’t growing. “It has a relatively stable number of customers, but if you look at the install base for each generation over the last however many years, the needle hasn’t moved significantly,” he explains.

Moore points out that console manufacturing is incredibly costly. It’s no secret console manufacturers like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft sell their hardware at a loss and make back the money through software and subscription services. Hardware manufacturing alone costs billions of dollars, and it can significantly hurt the company if not enough consoles sell, which seems to be the current case for Xbox consoles, as Moore says in the interview.

It’s interesting to note that Moore raised similar points in 2007 when Microsoft feared that the Xbox 360 would be the last console. According to him, entertainment media is always changing, and consumers are embracing new technologies. He explained that an increasing number of users don’t even consider buying a $500 console when they already have a powerful smartphone or a PC. He also talked about Cloud gaming and how the industry is slowly moving toward it.

While he was the boss of Xbox, Peter Moore tattooed the release date and logo of Halo 2 on his right arm to promote the game’s launch. Moore doesn’t deny that Halo is what made Xbox a household name, but also says the series could potentially make four times as much money if it weren’t a console exclusive.

At present, Microsoft is slowly bringing its exclusives to other platforms. Perhaps it’s testing the waters to see how well they do before they consider introducing Master Chief to Sony’s and Nintendo’s platforms. Peter Moore certainly thinks this is the case. While his predictions may not bear fruit, Moore has seen the rise and fall of several consoles, and he definitely has experience when it comes to console wars and the entertainment industry.