Electronic Arts Labels president Frank Gibeau has said that Sony and Microsoft will launch their next-generation game consoles by the end of 2013.
“We’re into the sixth or seventh year now of this generation of hardware and so it’s a mature market,” Gibeau told Bloomberg TV. “In terms of [software sales] fatigue, I consider it more of a mature market, a stable market.
“[Sales] flatten out a bit towards the end [of a console cycle]. Typically a transition year before new hardware comes out you see that flattening effect inside of the business.
“The new hardware is going to be coming out in about a year’s time, so we’re right around this period in time when the market’s going to slow down and then you have a new game changer coming with all new technology, all new hardware, and another growth period.”
Questioned if the consoles were called PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720, he said: “I don’t know what they’re calling them, I’m under non-disclosure so I can’t comment too much about what they’re specifically doing.”
Neither Sony or Microsoft have announced anything official regarding the successors to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Thanks, CVG.