I'm sure many of you (like myself) are beginning to find all of this next-gen talk a bit frustrating, especially in light of the fact that both Microsoft and Sony have yet to even acknowledge that they're working on new hardware. But alas, industry folks like Rob Pardo from Blizzard can't help but speculate about the future. Honestly, I think many of us want new hardware so bad that we are just hoping we can will it into existence. If you talk about it enough, it just has to happen, right?
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Pardo shared his thoughts on the future of gaming and the next-generation of consoles, saying that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 will likely be the last "traditional" consoles we'll see. “Are people going to go out and pay $300 plus for a gaming system that plugs into their TV the way the last generation did? I personally think the answer is yes for one more generation," he explained.
"I still think that the console systems will have enough of an advantage, and people are still used to buying them as a consumer product. They’ll be able to deliver really good games that I don’t think you can experience yet on tablets. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last traditional console generation and it evolves into something new after that,” Pardo added.
There's no doubt that the industry is rapidly changing, and Pardo could very well be proven right about the future of console gaming, but what it may evolve into remains a mystery. Those of you that happen to have a crystal ball on hand and would like to impart some wisdom on what the future holds are more than welcome to do so in the comments below.