Moore: New home consoles years away

[Daft]

EA Sports president Peter Moore doubts Microsoft and Sony will invest in new consoles for at least three years.

 

The ex-Microsoft and SEGA executive described the launch of Kinect and PlayStation Move as "tantamount to new platform launches", and insisted "we're nowhere near mass market pricing".

 

"If you look at the history of the pricing, we're in mid-cycle," Moore told Eurogamer in a new interview published today.

 

"Chronologically, this is the last few years of previous cycles, but when you look at pricing, we're mid-cycle.

 

"Over the years, $199 and below has been where 75 to 80 per cent of business is done. With the exception of 360 and the Wii, PlayStation 3, which seems to have a lot of momentum, is not even close to that.

 

"So we're still to reach a price point across all three consoles where historically 75 to 80 per cent of business is done. Yeah, I think we're in mid-cycle."

 

Microsoft has said Kinect, which allows gamers to play games without a controller, will extend the life of the Xbox 360 by five years.

 

And Sony has repeated its belief that this generation will last significantly longer than previous ones.

 

Moore said the current pricing of the consoles, in particular the PlayStation 3, suggests it'll be years before we see new hardware hit store shelves.

 

"When you've got things like Move and Kinect, these are tantamount to new platform launches for both Sony and Microsoft respectively.

 

"I don't think they are going to be investing in new hardware 12 months, 24 months, 36 months after investing I'm sure a considerable amount of money in getting both of these platforms out.

 

"I'm sure if you ask them is this a tactic and a strategy to extend the current life cycle, they'll say absolutely. You add Kinect to the average price of an Xbox 360, you're back up to that $400 again. That's not the end of the cycle. We're nowhere near mass market pricing. Maybe with the Wii – and you've seen a little bit of a downturn in that business. But they've sold a considerable amount of consoles."

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-14-peter-moore-new-consoles-years-away

 

I reckon I'll be content for another three years with my current set-up. The games are getting better and better.

[Jimbob]

Just as long as none of the big games move over to Kinect-only controls, i shall be happy.

[Dan_Dare]

Yeah I see no problems yet. I could see the ps3 outlasting the 360 but not by much and so far there's been nothing of the technical gap between the two that was predicted.

[Charlie]

Good.

 

There's absolutely no need for new consoles right now and people can't really afford to splash out £300 on a console and then controllers/games as well. All 3 consoles are doing really well; there are great new games in the pipeline for both the 360 and PS3 (and presumably Wii as well but I'm not up-to-date on that at all).

[flameboy]

Music to my ears! I can't afford a new console so to know theres plenty of life probably left in my PS3 is great.

[dwarf]

Yeah I see no problems yet. I could see the ps3 outlasting the 360 but not by much and so far there's been nothing of the technical gap between the two that was predicted.

Well.

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah. Definitely no difference.

[Nolan]

Well.

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah. Definitely no difference.

 

 

For a while now it's been looking like this gen will last longer than before. As much as I want to see new hardware it really just comes down to wanting to see new hardware rather than the need being there.

[Cube]

I never knew that the PS3 had big display problems.

[Daft]

To be fair, Halo Reach has a whole new engine and it looks a bit dated.

[ipaul]

Is this really news to anyone? I thought this is what we were all expecting back when the 360 was (prematurely) released in 2005. Console lifespans of 7-9 years instead of the usual 4-5. Would be especially strange for them to think of new consoles now with Move/Kinect on the way and all.

[Nolan]

To be fair, Halo Reach has a whole new engine and it looks a bit dated.

 

I think that's partly the way they decided to push the gameplay. Tons of things going on at a lower res/poly count vs few things going on higher res/poly. Like MT Framework, Dead Rising looked crappy compared to Lost Planet.

[Daft]

I'm not disputing that the game is fantastic but Killzone 2 looks vastly better (I'm not talking about its art direction) and has a Hell of a lot going on too (Not to mention it was GG's first game on the PS3 hardware whereas Reach is Bungie's third), and by all accounts the new one looks even better.

[McPhee]

To be frank both consoles are pretty shit in the graphics department. Bit of a moot debate really.

 

Even so, it's an odd argument to take what is basically the best looking PS3 game and compare it to a 360 game that hasn't been particularly noted for it's graphics (it's maybe just not Bungee's strength? They're more like Valve than Crytek).

[Daft]

Yeah, good point. I thought they were trying to push the graphics, new engine and all.

[Mundi]

Guess they wanted to pave the way for whoever makes the next Halo game with a new engine.

[Goafer]

I hope the next generation never arrives to be honest. We all know it will just be Sony and Microsoft releasing shit Wii clones, but as an actual console this time.

 

Unless they leave it long enough for people to realise that motion controls are just a shit gimmick and get back to making proper games.

[McPhee]

I thought you were rubbishing the 360's graphical power, not the power of Bungee's new Halo engine? Reach is far from the best looking 360 game (though I'm not sure the 360 can keep up with the PS3, but I doubt it'll really matter much).

[Daft]

I was just using two examples. Probably not the best of comparisons.

[Jon]

Glad to hear it. They PS3 is just coming into its element just now. The last thing I want to do is fork out more money on another console.

[dwarf]

Even so, it's an odd argument to take what is basically the best looking PS3 game and compare it to a 360 game that hasn't been particularly noted for it's graphics

Lulz. blog.

[Dog-amoto]

Yeah, I'm not arsed about a new generation either. I can't see how graphics can get that much better that I'd really notice/care about the difference.

[Dan_Dare]

Well.

 

Some horseshit

 

Yeah. Definitely no difference.

 

I see what you did there! You used a new Ps3 game and a poor 360 game from around launch! Lolololololololol!

[dwarf]

I see what you did there! You used a new Ps3 game and a poor 360 game from around launch! Lolololololololol!

I do not see the necessity for this comment.

[ipaul]

I do not see the necessity for this comment.

 

Well good because this one was definitely needed

 

I'm with Goafer, I don't want to see the next consoles be a couple of Wii clones. Have motion sensitivity for some things sure, but don't go overboard with it. The yaybuttons site, though slightly puerile, does at least raise some good points. I think companies are starting to underrate the traditional joypad as a means of control.

 

Daft has reminded me I still have to play Killzone 2

[James McGeachie]

Yeah, I'm not arsed about a new generation either. I can't see how graphics can get that much better that I'd really notice/care about the difference.

 

They actually physically can't without development costs getting so high that the games could never hope to make any level of profit whatsoever.

 

For a noticible "next gen" difference anyway, as really the only way things can look like "big" step up now is if they reach nigh on photorealism.

 

And that's why you wont be seeing a next gen for a while. Probably not until the gaming audience has been massively expanded, still much further than currently. That's the only way sales of future games could be high enough to break even really.

 

Anyway the first next gen console will obviously be Nintendo and it'll encompass whatever key design elements they feel are important this time to both further expand the audience and give core gamers a reason to wish to play the console over the competitors, as they must realise they're losing their hardcore audience. It certainly wont be "above" current gen level though and it'd shock me if it even matches the PS3.

Edited September 15, 2010 by James McGeachie