The PS4 and Xbox One could face competition from other consoles

For the last decade, gaming has been dominated by the big three of our industry. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have created an axis of power that may shift between them, but is rarely contested by outsiders. But a new challenger could appear soon in the form of Google and Apple. And EA wants to be prepared for that.

Speaking at the Credit Suisse 2013 Technology Conference via GamesIndustry, Moore said that the Xbox One and PS4 would need to build an even stronger base of consumers while they still had the chance of dominating the console field.

“Our market is evolving at a very, very, very rapid rate. I think that Microsoft and Sony have a real opportunity to build a strong following and a strong install base while they continue to be the single best way to get high fidelity, high definition interactive entertainment to your 80-inch television,” Moore said.

If you think about Microsoft’s strategy – and I think Sony shares some of this in their long-term view, of being a broader entertainment device in your living room – I think they have that time.

I think that three years from now, four years from now, they’re going to be under some fairly stiff competition for the living room, from mobile providers, from Apple, from Google, from Roku, from Comcast, to try and own that living room experience.

As for EA, they’ll go where the money is gamers are, and continue to create games for whichever platform consumers demand, but they’re committed to new-gen boxes as of this moment. But who knows what the future holds for EA?

“For us, we are less focused on the device and more focused on the modality of play because we think that will continue irrespective of what piece of technology is used to deliver the [content],” Moore said.

I honestly don’t see the Xbox and Playstation audience dropping their controllers and switching sides overnight, but new consoles could potentially target more casual markets. And that’s where some big bucks potentially lie in wait for publishers that are keen enough to hop on early.

Last Updated: December 4, 2013