Wada: "Console games gone in ten years"
The end is nigh?
Speaking in an interview with Develop magazine, Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada foretold the end of consoles as we know them.
Wada said: "It's tough to say at this moment. But let's say in ten years time what we traditionally call 'console games' simply won't exist."
Wada was discussing the growth in social and browser-based games and how this was an area that Square Enix were yet to explore.
He continued: "I believe that these types of games are going to be spreading and growing dramatically - especially in areas like Asia which does not have much penetration of consoles. The penetration power and destruction capability of social games mean it's an area we must tap into."
Wada also praised Microsoft for the way that Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live is evolving to embrace that growth.
He continues: "For Microsoft they have always had a consistent strategy - they recently strengthened Xbox Live and Games For Windows to be more consistent and consolidated. Live is also provided in a service in Windows, so they are aligning closely in that strategy - the two are very similar.[...] Instead of relying on the hardware layer the network becomes the operating system. That move away from clients to the network is something Microsoft has done."
