Former Xbox boss says company encouraged console wars to "challenge each other"

Former Xbox Boss Peter Moore has revealed an interesting insight about how Microsoft encouraged the console wars between Xbox 360 and PS3, but not to create division between players.

In an interview with Front Office Sports (thanks, IGN), Moore explained that Xbox viewed the console wars of that era as being conducive to healthy competition. Furthermore, he suggested that Xbox needed to be competitive at the time to recover from poor sales of the original Xbox and the Xbox 360's notorious "red ring of death."

"We encouraged the console wars, not to create division, but to challenge each other," Moore said. "And when I say each other I mean Microsoft versus Sony. If Microsoft hadn’t stuck the course after the Xbox, after the red rings of death, gaming would be a poorer place for it, you wouldn’t have the competition you have today.

"Two big behemoths like Microsoft and Sony investing billions each is good for gaming, it's as simple as that," he added. "They have to be great, otherwise the gamers are going to go to the other guy."

Moore later added that "if we didn't resolve red rings of death the way that we did I know darn well there'd be no Xbox today." Back in 2020, our sister publication Edge spoke with Moore in greater detail about what it was like confronting such a serious problem for the Xbox brand and how the company went about investing in a solution.

For everything on its way to the latest box, check out our extensive guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.