Even though Shawn Layden stepped down as Chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019, he hasn't hesitated to voice his opinions on the gaming industry's future. The ex-PlayStation boss thinks the ongoing rivalry between Sony and Microsoft's consoles should end. In an interview with Eurogamer, Layden compared the PlayStation and Xbox competition to the VHS versus Betamax battle from decades ago, where VHS triumphed before both formats faded away.
"With Xbox versus PlayStation, the Ali versus Frazier fight... We need to question the purpose of a proprietary console and if it can remain relevant," Layden stated. "When you have competing formats and technologies, there comes a point where we must declare the war over... The real competition should be in content. Content should be the focus for publishers, not the hardware they support. I believe the console's relevance will diminish in the next... generation, if not the one after that."
While Microsoft has experimented by releasing some Xbox games on PlayStation 5—including the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle—Layden doesn't think Sony needs to reciprocate by bringing PS5 games to Xbox. "Given PlayStation's market lead and momentum, should they develop games for a much smaller and less significant platform? As they say, I'm not sure the effort is worth it," Layden explained. "Sony's fanbase gets upset when games come to PC 18 months after their PlayStation release... Imagine their reaction to Xbox releases from PlayStation Studios."
Layden has previously suggested that rival consoles have "reached a ceiling" and shouldn't compete over teraflops. Sony has reportedly started early preparations for PlayStation 6 chips, while the next Xbox's specs remain uncertain. Both consoles are still years away, but there are rumors that Microsoft and Sony are also aiming to develop new portable systems.
Source link: https://www.gamespot.com
