Console games will die off within the next decade, or at least that is the opinion of Square Enix head honcho Yoichi Wada.
In an interview with MCV, Wada says that companies such as Microsoft and Sony are already getting ready for the end of disc based console games, and that it would be advisable for games publishers to be prepared for the inevitable as well. “In ten years time a lot of what we call ‘console games’ won’t exist,” he claims, saying that a new era where games will change from discs to being server based and distributed digitally is not only inevitable but that “all the distributors and sales firms will suffer a big negative impact.” Wada says that “Somewhere around 2005 the console manufacturers’ strategy shifted… In the past the platform was hardware, but it has switched to the network. A time will come when the hardware isn’t even needed anymore… With that, any kind of terminal becomes a potential platform on which games can be played – that’s exponential growth in the potential of gaming. The potential size of the market is enormous.”
Wada went on to point out that Square Enix itself is already preparing for the gradual change, by increasing the number of browser and social games available in countries such as Japan, and keeping an eye on the “Final Fantasy XIV” beta that’s due out next year. “Social and browser games are going to grow dramatically – especially in areas like Asia which does not have as big a console market,” he claims.
