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The Xbox One and PS4 will be more popular than the current generation of consoles, former EA chief exec John Riccitiello has told GamesIndustry.
“I think they’ll be bigger than the last generation, actually,” he claimed. “The last generation can be described as supercharged engines – they had super-powerful boxes. But the entirety of the online communication and being able to connect to your friends and all that stuff, a seamless, smooth, social experience, was just masking tape – barely put together. Remember that this was eight years ago. Most people were just moving on from their 28k modems.
“Now these are fully functioning, fully integrated online computers connected to the best screen in your house.”
Greater emphasis on ease of use will also allow more people to get involved with the new platforms, says Riccitiello.
“You put a super computer under your TV, plug it in with one connection and it works. It knows who you are, it knows what your games are and it’s unbelievably simple; it’s not like PC plug and play, it’s just plug and play,” he said. “The next generation of consoles are going to be a massive improvement on user interface. So I think that ‘s going to matter.”
Riccitiello says mobile and tablet devices have a huge role to play in attracting new gamers, but believes these new gaming formats will “happily coexist” with consoles.
“I think touch changed everything, I think tablets are incredible. I think they’re probably… one of the best ways to game out there,” he explained. “I’m still a believer in the next generation of consoles but another billion and a half people came into the industry as a consequence of mobile and I think that’s a pretty cool place to focus.
“I’m a gamer, I like games, I like people who build them, and I’m going to continue to work with them.”
Source: GamesIndustry
