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Date: Thursday, October 25, 2007

Games Developer Calls for Single Open Games Platform

Keeping up-to-date with the latest games consoles is exhausting – and expensive - for the consumer. However, if EA Games executive Gerhard Florin gets his way, we’ll soon be doing away with pricey consoles in favour of a single games platform.

Florin believes that a single open gaming platform would be beneficial to consumers and games developers alike. EA games currently make games for over 14 different consoles, PCs and hand held devices, most of which are incompatible with each other. This obviously means that by somehow merging these into one universal platform, game development would be much easier.

It is thought that any future single games platform would rely on set-top box technology and the Internet. Analyst Nick Parker thinks the new equipment would be “basically a boiled-down PC,” which would allow games to be streamed directly into it. Of course, the potential of this new single system would reduce the life expectancy of individual consoles, as Parker said: “There might not be a need for a PS4 or dedicated consoles.” Florin also believes establishing a single platform would remove the need for individual consoles. “I am not sure how long we will have dedicated consoles,” he said, “We could be talking up to 15 years.”

The notion of a single gaming system is certainly not a new one. In the 1980’s Microsoft enlisted the help of Philips and Sony to develop MSX. The MSX, a common home computer platform, was warmly received in a number of markets yet eventually failed due to the rise of PCs and of gaming consoles. However, this time, the future of a single games console looks more realistic, because of the seemingly limitless potential of the Internet and the growing sophistication of digital set top technology.

Establishing a single console is certainly a wonderful idea, although it needs full co-operation from a number of gaming system manufacturers to make it work. If these businesses are able to put their rivalries aside, Florin’s dream of a single gaming platform could soon become a reality.

Sources:

BBC
Guardian