14 DAY TRIAL // Cliff Bleszinski believes that the success of both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720 is not linked exclusively to hardware power and that much will depend on the ecosystem that Sony and Microsoft manage to build around the platforms.
He tells Engadget that, “I think those who get it with the next generation will get the idea of connectivity and sharing and allowing the user to build the content.”
The developer says that at the moment, indie developers need to spend a lot of energy on certification on the Xbox 360 and that the situation needs to be remedied on the next version of the device.
He adds, “I feel like Sony’s really embraced that vibe, and homebrewed and homegrown movement that’s really taken over, and what a cool thing that somebody in his garage made as a mod that is going to go viral tomorrow.”
Sharing of content will also be crucial to the next generation of home consoles, according to Cliff Bleszinski.
Sony has already announced that the PlayStation 4 will introduce a new dedicated Share button in order to allow players to quickly upload images and video and show friends what games they are enjoying.
Microsoft will hold its own next-generation reveal event on May 21 and rumors suggest that the Xbox 720 will also introduce a number of social-oriented features designed to create communities around high-profile games.
The former Epic Games developer believes that the sale numbers of the current generation of devices show that the next gen will face a struggle to match the performance of the older PlayStation 2.
Both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720 are expected to launch before the crucial Christmas shopping season and neither company is yet willing to offer official information about pricing, which will have a huge impact on sales.