Next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft are on the horizon, both due to release right in time for the Holiday season, presumably in November. Will the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X be enough of a leap to entice lots of gamers to jump in right away, though?
Speaking with GamesIndustry, Electronic Arts Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele expressed said she doesn't think that will be a problem, given the noticeable leap guaranteed by next-gen hardware.
I actually don't. During my first demo when I experienced the instant load times and massive worlds, I knew immediately this was going to set a new bar in terms of player expectations. When players see how accessible and immersive this generation of technology is, there will be no turning back.
Historically, console transitions have been punctuated by increased graphic fidelity and that hasn't changed -- this next-gen of games will certainly take a visual leap -- but we are also taking advantage of the extra memory and CPU cycles to bring a lot more detail to life.
As an example, in Madden we will be using the NFL's next-gen stats so every athlete in the game will play how they do in real life, with the data being updated in real-time. Fans in the stadium will be unique people responding to the action on the field. Deferred rendering allows us to use colors and lights in more dynamic ways... and dynamic weather systems will impact the athletes, their equipment and the playing field. Games are going to feel different, better and more visceral.
Miele also claimed not to have been surprised in the least by the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and hopes the upcoming Star Wars: Squadrons will be similarly acclaimed.
I was not surprised at all. We were confident that Respawn could deliver a best in class Star Wars experience and clearly players agreed. Star Wars is a rich universe and fertile ground for making games with memorable characters, diverse worlds and unforgettable stories. Match this with talented development teams and you get great games.
Star Wars Squadrons is a strong example of following the passion of our development teams. This game didn't come from market research -- it wasn't on our roadmap, but the Motive team was truly inspired about the concept. And it seems fans agree, as we've seen fantastic engagement and anticipation since we released the trailer.
Are you going to jump in on next-gen consoles right away or do you prefer to wait at first?
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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