In an interview with GamesIndustry, Square-Enix Technology Director Julien Merceron said Sony and Microsoft's biggest mistake was letting this console generation stretch on as long as it has (with still no immediate end in sight, though information and rumors about their next consoles are now picking up steam).
Merceron said companies that couldn't find success on the current consoles instead jumped ship to other platforms such as iOS, and that they were now unlikely to return to consoles even when new hardware arrives, hurting Microsoft and Sony's chances of success at that time against the emerging gaming platforms.
While the point itself is perhaps a little off-base (after all, if a company can't find success on a current system, why would that change on a next-gen, more advanced system? ), it does raise the very interesting question of just how long consoles should last.
It used to be that the turnover was perhaps too quick, and just as consoles seemed to be hitting their stride, talk was already emerging about the next, and developers would likewise begin to shift their production to the forthcoming system and abandon the current one.
Now though, it does appear that the pendulum has perhaps swung too far in the opposite direction. From the start of this console cycle, Sony made it clear they envisioned the PlayStation 3 as having a 10-year life cycle, and while that goal was met with plenty of skepticism, it does appear that wasn't simply marketing speak, as the years stretch ever further away from the PS3's 2006 release.
Is this drive for console longevity actually hurting the industry rather than helping it? There does appear to be a general lack of excitement in the industry right now, and games appear to have reached the upper limits of what they can do with the current hardware. Sales are slumping as a result, and have been for several months.
What's your take on this, are you content with the current hardware and feel the software is to blame for the lack of innovation and excitement? Or is it past due we get new systems to provide improved graphics and enhanced gameplay, providing a shot of adrenaline to an industry that appears to be stagnating.
