Executive vice president and general manager of Electronic Arts International, Gerhard Florin, spoke out about the current state of the gaming industry, saying that the current multiplatform approach is hurting publishers and developers:
"We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible."
EA currently produces games for more than 14 different gaming systems, including consoles, portable devices and PCs. Florin argues that a standard platform would ease development concerns, while still reaching the entire gaming audience, saving countless hours and dollars. He went on to predict that server-based games streamed directly to PCs or set-top boxes will become increasingly important for the industry, while dedicated consoles may phase-out over the next 15 years or so.