With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One hitting store shelves this holiday season, many believe that we’re seeing the “last console generation,” thinking that gaming tech can’t reach a further plateau than the one it’s at now.
However, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO Jack Tretton doesn’t think that way. “I respect anybody’s approach to the business, but at the end of the day, you’ve gotta be laser-focused, and can make yourself crazy trying to react to what the competition is doing,” said Tretton. “I’m not naive enough to think that we’re going to own every consumer. Some people are going to gravitate toward our platform, some people are going to gravitate toward others. Some are going to stay behind on existing generations, and some are never going to buy it at all. But it’s much better as an opportunity for a manufacturer today than it was five, 10, 15, 20 years ago, and I think it’ll be better going forward.”
When asked about the term “last console generation,” Tretton replied, “It’s funny, I’ve heard about the ‘last console’ since 1986, and only because that’s when I entered the business. I’ve managed to ride the ‘last console’ wave for the last, what is that . . . 27 years or so There’s a reason the console came about: Sitting in front of a big-screen TV on a couch with your friends. To get the immersive depth in gaming and to get the social experience of sitting around the living room, we’re not going to huddle around a tablet. We’re not going to huddle around a smartphone. I think the technology will come a long way, but you’re still trying to build a console, ultimately. You’re trying to get it closer to a console.”
The PlayStation 4 is available now, and the Xbox One hits U.S. store shelves this Friday.
Source: GamesIndustry International
