PS3 'not even halfway' to where Sony wants it

There's a 'huge amount' to come from PS3, says UK MD, and 'it's all planned'.

Great news for PS3 owners, Sony has said it's "not even halfway" to where it needs to get to with its console.

Sony Computer Entertainment UK managing director Ray Maguire told VideoGamer.com at the Games 3.0 conference in London that gamers are set to see "something even more exciting" from the next generation of games on the console, including new genres and a focus on "the game experience" rather than "sequel after sequel after sequel" and graphics.

When asked if gamers were seeing the potential of the PS3 being realised with the current crop of games, including Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet, Maguire replied: "No we've got miles to go. The power of PlayStation is just awesome and we're starting to get to grips with it, third parties are starting to get to grips with it and we're starting to see some of that come to fruition. But when we see the next generation of games coming after these, then I think we're going to see something even more exciting, we're going to see even more genres come to the marketplace rather than just sequel after sequel after sequel."

Maguire added: "I think the online experience is going to change radically over the next few years. The online additions to our games, just the way we consume games, is going to change massively. And using the PS3 for non-gaming activities as well, with PlayTV, using the remote play function with your PSP to extend your playing environment, there's a huge amount more to come from PS3. We're not even half way to where we need to get to. It's all planned, it's just a question of having the right amount of development time to make sure that when we bring it out it's what people expect it to be, rather than rushing stuff into the marketplace.

"We've never rushed with PS3 because we wanted to make sure that we're as right as we can be. We're learning all the time, we make mistakes like everybody else, we're not perfect but the talent is there, the energy is there, the commitment is there and the passion is there. And all I can say to the customers is thanks so much for the support because without them there would be no PS3 and there would be no business."

Maguire's comments are sure to excite PS3 owners who are still waiting to play some of the PS3's headline titles due out this year. Looking to the future, Guerrilla Games' Killzone 2, Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain, Zipper Interactive's MAG and SCE Santa Monica Studio's God of War 3 are all due some time in 2009.

Maguire, however, said that the improvement will be less about graphics and more about the "game experience", saying: "They (PS3 game graphics) will get better but I don't think that will be measurable. It'll be about the game experience that will change. And I think that's an area which, without saying what we will do, that's the area to bear in mind that that's where we'll put our energy."

Be sure to check the site tomorrow for the full interview with Sony's Ray Maguire.