In the eternal battle of the console manufacturers, one factor often takes center stage: raw hardware power. Microsoft has already made it clear that the upcoming Xbox will be the PlayStation 6 in terms of hardware performance. But while the focus is still on teraflops and technical superlatives, there are also critical voices from within the company's own ranks.
Seamus Blackley, one of the co-founders of Xbox, sees the future of consoles differently. In an interview with Videogamer he argued that the real key to success was not graphics overkill, but unique content and unforgettable gaming experiences.
Graphic wonders without magic?
Blackley remembers a special moment from the past: "I remember seeing Gran Turismo when it came out for the PS1 and I just had to have it because I couldn't believe what I was seeing." This kind of amazement at technology has disappeared today because graphics have long since reached a high level and visual leaps are less and less astonishing.
Instead, says Blackley, the industry needs to find new ways to inspire players. "There are no more graphics that give you that feeling"he states. The future therefore no longer lies in the arms race for pixels and polygon numbers, but in fresh, original gaming experiences.
The real challenge: Unmissable experiences
"If you want to win, you have to create something that you simply MUST have", Blackley continued. Console manufacturers face a huge hurdle: "You're trying to suck a huge bunch of people through a straw. You have to get people to spend hundreds of dollars on a console just to play a 70-dollar game." The appeal of a new platform must therefore go far beyond technical specifications.
Blackley distances himself from Microsoft's current strategy. "How they run this brand today is not my damn fault"he stated dryly. "I would have done things differently. I can't say whether that would have been better or worse. But the constant talk about more performance won't get us anywhere today."
The future of Xbox and PlayStation
While Microsoft continues to rely on brute hardware, Sony is already developing the next PlayStation generation with AMD. But is that enough?
Sony has come up with features such as the DualSense controller have already proven that immersive innovations can take the gaming experience to a new level. But to make the switch to a new generation of consoles appealing to gamers, both manufacturers need to offer more than just more pixels and faster loading times.
The crucial question remains: Who will be the next Gran Turismomoment that not only impresses gamers, but leaves them open-mouthed in amazement? Perhaps this time the console war will not be decided by teraflops - but by the courage to be creative. What Sony basically stands for.
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