14 DAY TRIAL // The Xbox One from Microsoft and the PlayStation 4 from Sony might be already dominating game news but it seems that the two hardware makers still have long term plans for their older devices and there are no plans to rapidly drop their prices to make them more appealing to customers.
Blake Jorgensen, the chief financial officer of publisher Electronic Arts, is quoted by Gamespot as saying during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, & Technology conference in San Francisco that an expansion of the market will be necessary but he has no clear idea when it might happen.
The executive states, “At some point will most likely bring those prices down, which could expand the marketplace for old-generation software.”
He adds, “I’m guessing it’s probably late in the year or maybe even after next Christmas. I don’t know; they’ve not told us what their plans are but it’s probably not any time real soon.”
Both Sony and Microsoft have stated that they have ten year plans for their older hardware but it’s unclear how the two devices can remain relevant is they fail to generate solid sales from month to month.
The lack of a price cut for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 before late in 2015 might also mean that there are no plans to make the nest gen devices cheaper, which will come as a disappointment for those who currently lack the funds to pick one up.
Sony has delivered constant updates and launched titles for the PlayStation 2 even after the PS3 was launched and the older device only officially ceased production in the middle of 2013, making it one of the platforms with the longest presence on the market.
At the moment Electronic Arts plans to launch the much awaited 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil football simulation only on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, saying that the two devices are the only ones that have a large enough install base to support it.
EA also says it will continue to support all hardware that is popular with gamers for its core brands.
If a price cut is not planned by either Sony or Microsoft the two companies might try other ways to promote their consoles, which might mean that more bundles are introduced in the coming months.
At the same time the two companies might deliver more free content using Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.