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Electronic Arts: we want one standard platform

Posted Oct 19, 2007 at 7:26AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: BBC, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Screen Digest, Sony

Looks like Electronic Arts isn't just about going global. EA Executive VP Gerhard Florin commented to BBC that within 15 years, the game industry will see only one platform in the market. It's an interesting notion and not exactly an uncommon one.

The idea isn't a "one console to rule them all" bit but more of a convergence of technologies, a single platform that can sustain the demands of the consumer as well as bring the best out from all the worlds. Coming from a developer's point of view, the idea is that programming would be easier:

We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible. [...] You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii - the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on.

Screen Digest analyst Nick Parker believes that it's not about one console rising above all the others: rather a console that can provide channels for the publishers - Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo - to deliver their games. This prevents a monopoly of distribution of games, if not hardware.

However, Florin believes that hardware will basically boil down to game-centric PCs. The current participants of the console wars - the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the Wii - are just a step away from it themselves. If that's the case for future consoles, then even hardware isn't a monopoly, much like how all the parts of a PC isn't dependent on one company.

With all the consoles striving for technology convergence - developing the boxes to become a media hub and not just a gaming console - it's not really a strange idea to imagine that a convergence of console tech is the next step. Perhaps the logical, inevitable step.

Via Eurogamer

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This has already been brought up before and it's been busted every single time.

These theories are WHACK to say the least. NO WHERE ELSE has this theory been applied or come true.

Not only that but if this ever did happen then you could kiss innovation GOODBYE! This would kill our fast growing pace.

Competition drives bleeding edge!

# god I hate EA — jrm125 2007-10-19 08:51

While the idea of a uniform system is nice and all...EA would hardly be using it in a way that benefits the consumer. Under the current system we have competition, we have games that drive different systems in different ways.

EA's history has always been use the same thing as much as possible with as little revision as possible. Every game they make uses similar engines, every iteration has similar graphics and feels. There's no new ideas, nothing special.

This is nothing more than a way for them to save some development money.

# of course they do — Nevers 2007-10-19 09:25

... so they can just buy that company too... again I ask if Rupert Murdoch is running EA mwooohahahahaha !

# . — What common sense is really about 2007-10-19 09:50

You want one single platform?

We want proper games!

# @EA — misthero 2007-10-19 10:45

your games sucks, so many years making football games and pes is always better.

# communist — BTR711 2007-10-19 12:09

sounds like EA is / are communists! now i use to like their games but the last few years have been below par. lets hope they wont get their way cause that will be the downfall of gaming. no more competition = higher prices. its a good thing for them but not for us.

# All it would take... — Twenty-Se7en 2007-10-19 12:42

Is for Nintendo and Sony to sign a deal saying both their systems will play eachothers games - then who the hell would buy MS or any other system that didn't have twice the game and twice the support

# EA OMG LMFAO — stressfactor381 2007-10-19 14:10

what the hell is up with EA there so full of ***** they think they are going to reign supreme but I got some bad news for them everything they have to offer sucks ass and we all know Bill Gates isnt gonna let his xbox flourish because he wouldnt be making his billions and sony isnt that dumb either but ill be damned if EA is retarded all there trting to do is make a name for themselves and in my opinion they already have and its LOSER'S

# Self motivated greed and laziness on EA part — Oracle 2007-10-19 14:39

that's all it is

# wow — rollypoly 2007-10-19 17:27

i understand the urge to "challenge everything" EA says or does... but come on.

to the guys saying it will kill progress and standardizing is bad: check again. history has shown time and again the numerous benefits of standards outweigh the negatives.

DVD standard, did it stifle innovation? no. however it did make sony want a bigger bite of the pie...

look at the current HD media war... who stands to benefit from it? the companies who own the rights to the tech. not you, not me.

GAMES, like the movies are what really matters...

if what you care about is playing good games, then the number of systems or brands on them matters not.

i'd love it if i only had to worry about which games to buy, and not if i can afford the systems i have to buy to play the best ones.

# @rollypoly — Orlyeh 2007-10-20 01:24

you're confusing standardization with competition

yes, a standard format exists for DVDs, but was there one standard company that made them? if there was, do you think there would be DVD-Rs or DVD-RWs? (example: are there any UMD-Rs or UMD-RWs?) I highly doubt that a company with a monopoly on a medium would be so willing to share that medium; in contrast, no one company owned the standards to a DVD disc but rather two organizations finalized and published their standards; various companies then produced their own products on DVDs (be it recordable ones or a means of storing data) which drove innovation

as for the current HD "war", the problem here lies in the fact that outside forces are pushing an increase in resolution size on consumers without letting the market play out; how do we benefit? well, do you think that Sony can price its Blu-ray movies how it wants or does it have to compete with HD-DVD prices?

you get a nice HD movie at an affordable price, Sony makes a profit - win win

"i'd love it if i only had to worry about which games to buy, and not if i can afford the systems i have to buy to play the best ones."

yeah, well, I'd love it if I only had to worry about the food I have to buy and not my mortgate or insurance or car bills or property taxes, or... do you get my picture? life is about limited means and unlimited choices - limiting people's choices so YOU can have "all" of them is ridiculous

# EA — 3560freak 2007-10-20 15:41

Whats funny, is that EA founder Trip Hawkins tried to do this in the early 90s with the 3DO. His idea was to make a standard platform and let whomever manufacture the unit. Panasonic and Goldstar (now LG) were the only ones I knew of. But the platform failed, I assume for development support and high cost of the units. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3do

# actually... — rollypoly 2007-10-21 01:43

i'm not confusing anything.

i didn't state i wanted one manufacturer, i want one system. just like dvd players one game should work on all game systems, regardless of who made them.

the DVD standard allowed many manufacturers to make money on players and it didn't stifle competition or progress.

yes i know life is about choices, and i wasn't *****ing about having to buy many consoles. i have always bought the consoles i needed in order to play the games i wanted.

so you would of seen it as sensible if you had to buy 3 different dvd players to watch the movies you liked?

you compare having multiple redundant game systems to needing food and shelter to survive, that hardly seems logical.

# in addition — rollypoly 2007-10-21 01:48

would DVDs of been so popular if consumers were FORCED to choose one player over another competing format?

it's not about forcing anyone to choose anything, it's about allowing the consumer the freedom to play the good games without worrying about the system they own.

# WTF!?!?!?!?! — ISOHaven 2007-10-22 06:33

@rollypoly

I hate to bust your bubble but you couldn't be more wrong.

You seem to confuse the fact that because a standard exists for a specific product that it must be the only product on the market???

You use DVD as an example of how all things should be the same. Then how exactly you do explain the FACT that DVD is NOT the only source of video on media? You can obtain video on other forms of media besides DVD.

Like I said, "NO WHERE ELSE has this theory been applied or come true."

# WTF!?!?!?!?! — ISOHaven 2007-10-22 06:53

"i'm not confusing anything."

As was already explained to you and PROVEN, yes you are.

You again use the bogus example of a DVD so I have to assume you simply do not get it.

Maybe breaking it out in the most simplest form will help you.

360, Wii, PS3....these are consoles that play games. There is no standard for ONE SOURCE OF GAMES.

VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, UMD, BluRay, HD-DVD. These are in use TODAY. There is no standard for ONE SOURCE OF VIDEO.

Your DVD example does NOT fit into this situation.

See how you're wrong? Your DVD argument is bogus. Yes, DVD itself is a standard but it is NOT a standard for all things video. It's a standard just as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have developed standards for their OWN consoles.

"one game should work on all game systems, regardless of who made them."

That's just plain ignorant. In order for that to happen then ALL consoles would have to have the same core just like all DVD players. That would mean that all games would have to have the EXACT same spec regardless of who makes them. For example, Lost Planet looks awesome on PC because of DX10. But there is no DX10 on consoles. So Lost Planet on PC would HAVE to look as plane on the PC as is will on consoles.

You want that? No thanks!

"so you would of seen it as sensible if you had to buy 3 different dvd players to watch the movies you liked?"

Um....we already do that! You are completly lost! I have a VHS player, DVD player, HD-DVD player and a BluRay player (PS3).

"redundant game systems"

Actually, this comment from you is blown away as well. Since game consoles today offer MUCH MORE then game content, there is nothing redundant about them.

"would DVDs of been so popular if consumers were FORCED to choose one player over another competing format?"

You mean like Beta and VHS? HD-DVD and BluRay? All were popular. Also, when DVD was released it was NOT popular. People were PISSED OFF that their VHS collections were about to become toast.

"it's not about forcing anyone to choose anything, it's about allowing the consumer the freedom to play the good games without worrying about the system they own."

Actually, no it's not. You are making a direct argument based on assumption. You ASSUME games will remain to be good if this BS theory were to actually come true. Go back and read my comment about Lost Planet if you still don't understand.

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