This morning we reported that Peter Moore had more than a few words for Sony and the sales performance of the PlayStation 3 in Japan. Moore was asked about the poor sales of the Xbox 360 in Japan and instead decided to take the opportunity to go full bore at the Wii's 6-to-1 sales advantage over the PS3.

Just a few hours later, Microsoft reported that Moore stepped down as Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Interactive Entertainment. Former Electronics Arts president Don Mattrick was appointed to take his place.

“Peter has contributed enormously to the games business since joining Microsoft in 2003 and we are sad to see him go,” said Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “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.”

Bach also had kind words for the incoming Mattrick. “While Peter will certainly be missed, we are delighted to have one of the industry’s most talented and passionate veterans on board to lead the business,” Bach continued. “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.”

Moore's departure wasn't exactly unexpected given the recent turn of events with the Xbox 360. Microsoft missed its forecast to ship 12 million units by June 30 (the company instead fell slightly short at 11.6 million).

Then there's also the infamous Red Ring of Death (RROD) on the Xbox 360. Despite increasing the standard warranty of the Xbox 360 and bulking up its warranty services, Microsoft and Moore downplayed the significance of the RROD on Xbox 360 consoles.

"I can’t comment on failure rates, because it’s just not something  -- it’s a moving target. What this consumer should worry about is the way that we’ve treated him. Y’know, things break, and if we’ve treated him well and fixed his problem, that’s something that we’re focused on right now," remarked Moore in May.

The issue came to head just days after DailyTech reported RROD failure rates as high as 33 percent on Xbox 360 consoles. Microsoft on July 5 announced a 1.15 billion dollar initiative to extend Xbox 360 warranties affected by the RROD to three years and reimburse customers who paid to have service performed on machines with the RROD.

Moore even offered a public apology for the debacle in an open letter to the Xbox Community. "If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience," said Moore.

Moore may have left Microsoft behind, but he is not jobless. Electronic Arts announced today that Moore has been named as the President of the EA SPORTS division.

"Peter Moore’s proven record of leadership in games and sports makes him a terrific fit for heading up EA SPORTS," said EA CEO John Riccitiello. "As a partner at Microsoft and earlier, as a competitor, we’ve learned to respect his vision and leadership."

In addition to his new position, Moore will receive an annual base salary of $550,000 (plus a discretionary target bonus percentage of 75 percent of annual base salary), one-time bonus of $1.5 million, the option to purchase 350,000 shares of company stock and relocation-related expenses of $330,000.