Former PlayStation Boss Questions Whether Proprietary Consoles Make Sense Anymore

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but reminisce about the good old days when console wars felt like Ali versus Frazier. But, much like the Betamax vs VHS saga, it seems we’ve reached a point where the format war should come to an end. The competition should shift from hardware to content, and I believe that’s the direction the gaming industry is headed.

Despite relinquishing his role as Chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019, Shawn Layden has been vocal about his thoughts on the future direction of the gaming industry. In fact, this ex-PlayStation leader advocates for an end to the ongoing competition between Sony and Microsoft’s consoles.

Back when I was chatting with Eurogamer, Layden drew a parallel between the PS vs Xbox race and the old-school video format war between VHS and Betamax from way back. Just like how VHS eventually took over, only for both to become relics of the past, he’s saying it’s much the same with our consoles today.

In simpler terms, Layden suggested that the rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation is reminiscent of the Ali-Frazier boxing matches. However, instead of focusing on the consoles themselves, we should question the need for proprietary systems and whether they will remain relevant in the future. When multiple formats, platforms, and technologies compete, there comes a time when we acknowledge the battle has ended. But the true competition lies not in the hardware but in the content. Publishers should focus on the quality of their content, rather than which console they choose to support. He believes that within this generation, or at least the next one, consoles will become less significant.

Microsoft is experimenting with some Xbox games being made available on PlayStation 5, such as the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. However, Layden does not foresee a requirement for Sony to respond in kind by offering Xbox-exclusive titles on the PlayStation 5.

Given that PlayStation currently dominates the gaming market and appears to be gaining even more ground in the future, should they consider developing games compatible with smaller, rival platforms? The question is whether the potential benefits outweigh the effort,” Layden stated. “The Sony fanbase tends to get quite agitated when a game is released on PC 18 months after its initial PlayStation debut… So, one can only imagine the backlash if games from PlayStation Studios were made available on Xbox.

Earlier, Layden mentioned that in his opinion, competing consoles have hit their peak and it’s unnecessary to battle over teraflops. Interestingly, it seems Sony has started planning for its PlayStation 6 processors, while the specifications for the next Xbox are still a subject of debate among experts. Although these consoles are yet to be released, there are rumors that both Microsoft and Sony aim to develop new handheld systems as well in the future.

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2024-12-04 22:39