Killzone 2 launched on February 26, 2009, as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. But long before that, Sony had showcased a flashy video of the game at E3 2005, one that led to plenty of industry debate.
Moore explained that Microsoft had hired consulting firm McKinsey to run a “wargaming” exercise, where Xbox leaders took on the roles of competitors. Moore played the part of then-Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi.
“I took on the role of Ken Kutaragi and basically attacked what I thought were the weaknesses of Microsoft and Xbox 360 and hard drive capabilities and all the price points… everything that you do in a wargaming environment,” Moore said. “And I won, which shouldn’t have happened.”
He went on to explain his mindset during the session. “It’s Microsoft. They’ve got no legacy. We’re going to, as we did with Sega, put them in a corner and place doubt in the minds of the gamer. They don’t have the studios yet. We still have the legacy of everything that comes out of Japan being authentic. And you’ve got a company that’s more famous for Windows, Excel, PowerPoint and Word… How on earth can they be in the entertainment business?”
Moore also recalled watching the Killzone 2 trailer shown at Sony’s E3 2005 presentation. “It was exactly the same tactics of creating a very expensive movie. But when the game came out it was completely BS,” he said. After seeing the video, he believed Sony wouldn’t be able to deliver the same gameplay experience.
“They were doing the same thing to us as they did with Sega, which is: ‘Alright, cute little Xbox 360 coming out, but the big boys will be out with the PlayStation 3. So you should hang around and wait for that. Because look what we can do.’”
Moore likened Sony’s Killzone 2 demo strategy to political campaigning by making big promises to win over buyers, even if the final product doesn’t deliver. He said many in the industry, including journalists, doubted the trailer’s authenticity and didn’t believe the PlayStation 3 could match what was shown.
Moore left the games industry in 2017 to serve as CEO of Liverpool FC. He eventually returned and now works at Unity. In a past interview with IGN, Moore admitted that during his Xbox years, he sometimes wondered if the Xbox 360 might be the last generation of consoles.
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