Electronic Arts boss John Schappert thinks that mobile gaming, cross-platform inter-connectivity and social features are more important to the future of the games industry than stereoscopic 3D.
As companies such as Nintendo, Sony and graphics-specialists Nvidia rush to promote the latest 3D-friendly console and TV and PC hardware and 3D-capable games, the latest warning from one of the most powerful men in the games industry suggests that publishers' priorities may well be elsewhere.
3D, IPTV, mobile, social
Gamasutra reports the EA COO noting at the company's financial results announcement this week:
"While there's no doubt that our industry will have its 'Avatar', where 3D is a defining aspect of the game … I'm mostly interested, with all the mobile devices that are coming out, in how they're being connected to one another and how the same IP is shared over the top."
"I think that's actually a bigger driver for EA and the industry in the near term."
Schappert's also discussed the gaming potential of IPTV services such as GoogleTV.
Schappert added: "I'm more in the camp that IPTV is a bigger idea for gaming, at least in the near term, than 3D is. It just provides a better social experience and you know that consumers playing with one another is a very positive and powerful motivator."
Smart TVs may well enable browser-based play in your living room, but will they ever completely replace that high-powered Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 under your telly?
Via Edge
