Peter Moore's 'tattoo'

Never did I think I'd ask a Microsoft executive to roll up his sleeve and show me his tattoo, but there you have it, over on the right. (Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.) That's Peter Moore, corporate vice president on the Xbox team, but in truth it's not a real tattoo. He had it inked on his arm by a Hollywood makeup artist prior to the Xbox opening event Monday night at E3, where he let his arm serve as the medium for announcing the long-awaited relase date for Halo 2, the successor to the best-selling Xbox title. It will wear off in about a week.

"I didn't tell my wife, but I think my son probably saw it online last night," he said Wednesday morning, referring to photos from the event. "I know he's gone and said, 'Did you see what dad did?' "

Moore said the company tried to make its presence at E3 more fun and lighthearted this year, with elements including the "Apprentice" spoof that poked fun at Sony Computer Entertainment's top executives. He said he hopes the Sony executives take the ribbing in good fun. In fact, he said he'd like to see them respond in kind.