In the past few years, however, there has been ample evidence that the industry has begun to change its stance on the permanence of the console. Japan’s ailing console market kickstarted a discussion about how video games might need to evolve once more, and now it has become popular for CEOs and industry experts to comment on how consoles don’t have many years left in them after all. Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot is one of those experts, stating in a recent call that:
Guillemot later clarified that he does not consider the rumored PS4.5 mid-generation upgrade or the new Xbox One hardware that might come to E3 2016 this year as entirely new consoles. That means Ubisoft fully expects another generation after the PS4 and Xbox One, one that could begin with the Nintendo NX depending on its specs and release date. After the last traditional console generation, however, Ubisoft and Guillemot already have something in mind for the future:
Many high-profile gaming figures have already suggested something similar to what Guillemot believes, with Electronic Arts’ Peter Moore envisioning a stream-based future for video games as well. The differences in opinion from these comments seems to be not if the console market will eventually be a relic of gaming’s past, but how the future of streaming will be implemented, either with something still resembling a console or an entirely console-free set up.
With that being said, however, Guillemot’s comments might even be considered conservative given today’s console climate. Sony president Shuhei Yoshida recently said he wasn’t even sure there would be a PS5, and Sony recently announced the formation of a new mobile gaming division that seems to confirm the suspicion that even industry giants are wary of the future of console gaming. Perhaps, based on Guillemot and Yoshida’s statements, the rumor of the PS4.5 isn’t necessarily a mid-generation upgrade - it could be the swansong for Sony’s traditional, console-based model of video game development.
What do you think about Guillemot’s beliefs regarding the future of gaming? Do you think consoles have more staying power than the industry leaders seem to believe? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Game Spot (via IGN)
