Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
EA Studios VP Expects Shorter Cycle For Next-Gen Consoles
In a recent interview, EA Studios executive vice president Patrick Söderlund said that the previous generation of consoles went on too long, and that the next one will likely be shorter.
Speaking with MCV, Söderlund said, “This console cycle may have gone on a little bit longer than I would have wanted.” He continued saying, “At the same time, you have seen games like The Last of Us and GTA V at the end of a cycle which perhaps you would not have expected a few years ago. But a five, six year gap is what I expect going forward.”
The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii generation went strong for about eight years, where the previous generation only lasted about five years by comparison.
Söderlund has recently been an outspoken voice for Electronic Arts. He recently sharing skepticism about free-to-play games on consoles.
Our Take
From a consumer perspective, it seems like a longer console generation is a better. Aside from not having to update expensive video game consoles as frequently, it also gives developers more time to figure out the tools of a given generation of games. The more often the console generation changes, the more often developers have to re-learn how to make games on new software and hardware. I'm hopeful that the now current generation of consoles lasts just as long as the previous, if not longer.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
