Former Xbox exec says ‘the words first and third party might just disappear’ amid doubts about next generation of consoles

Peter Moore, former vice president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment division who oversaw both the original Xbox and Xbox 360, offered a fascinating insight into the current gaming landscape and the potential future of the industry.

Speaking in a recent interview with IGN, Moore expressed doubts about the viability of another generation of consoles after the PlayStation 5 and Xbox series X|S. It’s no secret that console launches are incredibly expensive, incurring huge hardware costs that are often intended to be offset by subsequent software sales.

With a new generation of consumers seemingly more interested in mobile gaming than traditional console experiences, it seems a major shift in the industry could be on the cards.

“What you’re seeing now and what you’re certainly hearing from a company like Microsoft is: Is the cloud replacing the need for custom hardware? Is streaming changing the way we play games on the devices we are now accustomed to, including smartphones? I don’t think people are playing less, they’re just playing differently,” he explained.

“More and more, we are seeing the emergence of a generation that is not ready to sit down for an evening in front of the television with the game of the day this week.”

Moore makes some comparisons to the music industry, where dedicated music players have largely been abandoned in favor of mobile streaming apps. “Now you think back to music and God, the Zune and the iPod, and I go back to Discmans and Walkmans, custom devices that play music. Well, we don’t have any more.”

So now everything streams from my phone on Spotify, or I listen to a lot of music on SoundCloud, but I don’t have anything playing music. Someone gave me a DVD the other day, I have nowhere to watch it. Now, the smartphone dominates. Gaming is therefore not immune to these technological changes and viewing, listening and playing habits.”

Later in the interview, Moore is asked if he thinks this current console generation could be the last. “I think it’s a very serious question that is being asked, I’m sure, in Tokyo, in Redmond, in Washington, in Kyoto. That’s what everyone is working on right now, because when you launch the next generation, you’re going to have to be prepared to absorb billions of dollars in losses,” he said.

“Is the industry, given all the layoffs and everything we’re going through right now, ready for this?

If no new consoles are on the way, it would have huge consequences for how major titles are released.

“I think the words first part and third could just disappear,” he argued. “It will simply be the case, we make great games and we provide a phenomenal service where you can play our games, and both first and third party games are legacy hardware.”

This overall trajectory definitely aligns with the imminent arrival of certain former Xbox exclusive titles, notably Rush to Hi-Fi And Sea of ​​Thieveson PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

“I think they’re dipping their toes in the water to see how it all works,” Moore said. “You do it a little hesitantly and there you go, okay, let’s test the ecosystem here. We do not throw away Halo over there.”

For some Xbox hardware recommendations, check out our guides on best Xbox series X and series S accessories and the best Xbox series.