As the video game industry continues to evolve, many are beginning to wonder how many years traditional consoles as we know them today will remain viable. Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer believes console gaming is "as relevant as it’s ever been."
Speaking to Polygon, Spencer went on to add:
It's a continued push to make the consoles as relevant as any other device that you own. We've seen a proliferation of millions of devices and people playing games across all of those devices. Gameplay is no longer segregated to my console or my PC. That's the opportunity for us. To take all these people that are learning to play games in all these different places and make sure the game console shows up as an extremely relevant device for those people, but also maintaining the core that we've had for years in the gaming space on the console, and making sure that they come along.
To me, it starts with the device they're connected to, which is your television. The television in someone's house plays a unique role. It's a communal screen. What are the kinds of experiences that we want to put on that screen that would be differentiated from what someone's doing on a tablet or a phone? Graphic fidelity is key. Multiplayer and connected play is key. Audio. Having something that's interesting for others to watch, even if they're not playing.
What do you think? Is the console gaming space as relevant as it once was? Will second-screen devices serve to compliment our Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game experiences, or instead pull us away from the next-gen boxes altogether? Be sure to sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.
