Yves Guillemot: We're approaching the final console generation

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-06-07-yves-guillemot-were-approaching-the-final-console-generation

*the follow must be read in a french accent for maximum impact

'The CEO of Ubisoft believes the next generation of home consoles will be the last as substantial hardware updates make way for multi-device streaming services.

Yves Guillemot pointed to advances in cloud-based gaming as well as streaming tech by firms like Nvidia as signs of how companies will be able to deliver AAA games to anything from a high-end PC to a mobile phone.

His comments come ahead of an E3 where we are not expecting to see a new Xbox or PlayStation 5, despite persistent rumours that the latter is well into development. As and when they are unveiled, Guillemot believes they will be the last of their kind.

"I think we will see another generation, but there is a good chance that step-by-step we will see less and less hardware," he told Variety. "With time, I think streaming will become more accessible to many players and make it not necessary to have big hardware at home.

"There will be one more console generation and then after that, we will be streaming, all of us."

The rise of streaming in other forms of entertainment, most famously with Netflix and Spotify, certainly suggests that games could follow in a similar vein. Earlier this year, we spoke to various companies trying to lay the groundwork for this - in fact, Polystream demonstrated a cloud-based The Witcher 3 operating on a simple laptop remarkably smoothly.

Guillemot is confident this technology will "improve dramatically" in the coming years, which will "allow us to have a very smooth experience in the big cities of the world".

While, he doesn't appear to have commented on what this will mean for players outside those cities, or even in areas with poor or inconsistent internet, he does believe this would be a greater evolution for video games than more powerful hardware.

"It is going to help the AAA game industry grow much faster," he said. "We have to work on the accessibility of those games, to make sure they can be played on any device, but the fact that we will be able to stream those games on mobile phones and television screens without a console is going to change a lot of the industry."'

I'm fairly sure I read these exact comments (not necessarily from him) before this gen began about how this gen's consoles could be the last.

Either way I really hope they're wrong again. Streaming is fine as an option but not as the only option.

Its not going to work for while a few countries simply don't have the internet for it. Plus people prefer to at least download there games.

Jeepers Chris, it's the end of the world!

It would be a better start to introduce streaming games as an option for players rather than totally abandon hardware until it is absolutely read and accessible to everyone.

Bwahahaha, oh god how many times do these idiots want to be proved wrong.

Then Nvidia and AMD will be out of business, no PS4, no Xbox and all of SW can finally be friends.

I don't think so. I do think 'generations' are more or less over. There'll just be hardware updates every two to three years now.

No one is going to be able to release a new console which is significantly more powerful than the Xbox One X within a consumer budget anytime soon. So I just see incrimental hardware updates becoming a thing.

Like ill ever touch streaming games ...

Of course we'll be streaming more in the future and that hardware will be less important, but it's way too soon for that. For it to happen after the generation after this one.. no way.

It's funny that I know more about the business than Yves who's job is to know things about the business. It's almost that I can come to the conclusion that Yves is an idiot.

In what way do you know more about the business than him. Saying 'I can't see it happening...' isn't really knowing anything.

Him saying "this will probably happen" to a very unlikely thing makes him look like he don't know what he's talking about. Me shooting it down makes me look like I know more than him about the subject.

They are probably sitting in a board-room right now brainstorming ways to exploit people.

We're already at gambling, organ trafficking seems like the next logical step.

"There will be one more console generation and then after that, we will be streaming, all of us."

No, not all of us. If the day ever comes where my only option for playing new games is through streaming, that's the day that I stop playing new video games and I just focus on playing games for all of my old retro consoles.

While I have no doubt that streaming games will become more popular as the years go by, I think that there will always be a large group of gamers like me that will be completely against streaming games and therefore there will always be a market for someone to offer a traditional console and do very well selling to all of the people that are against streaming games and still want a traditional console.

Tablets were going to end PCs, mobile gaming would destroy PC and console gaming.

Smartphones would destroy dedicated mobile platforms (3DS and Switch).

None of those happened and I wonder why...

@uninspiredcup: Pro Subscription for earlier access to games. No! Not good enough. Subscription per game genre.

Streaming will probably work for casual sofa sitting console gaming. For anything serious, like competitive PC shooters, low input lag and good framerate are essential, so I don't see those devices phasing out gaming PCs.

Lems wishing for the end of consoles and generations LMAO.

Sony and Nintendo will decided when generations "end" and not a moment before lems. Sorry.

#SHITSTIRPOST

Looks like it only "shitstired" the person who felt the post applied to them.

REALITY:

MS allured to wanting to end generations with Xbone X.

Sony laughed and said they're going forward with PS5 and full generation console cycles and said MS can do whatever they like...

MS now planning their next xbox to counter PS5...

LOL

The industry doesn't move for what M$ or some shitty inverstor wants to happen, it will move for what the market leaders Sony and Nintendo decide to do and MS will follow.

#DEALWITHITLEM

Can I just check. Does 'Lem' mean anyone who says anything negative about Sony.

Well done on putting the $ at the end of MS by the way. Genius stuff!

Lem means the same thing to me as MS fans calling sony fans cows I'd imagine.

Also thanks, I thought it was a nice touch :D

No consoles in the future streaming IS THE only way of gaming? Holy s☆☆☆, how boring is that!? Let's hope it never happens. I want a PS5, PS6, PS7 as well as an Xbox One Zero Two X and an Xbox 1 x 360 x 720.

I don't rely on the internet for anything. I'm disabled my roommate pays the internet bill. There will come a time when I can't afford internet. I guess my gaming habits will change and I'll have to go retro only.

sadly america is one of them. rip.

oh and "their"

But then what happens to my dream to play PS9 by sniffing some liquid?

What I find ironic is that the end of console hardware generations would be the end of AAA development, because cell phones and mobile electronics will in essence be as powerful. They know not that which they want.

Been hearing this since 3dfx and Riva tnt era...and after all why not :p

Some dev says this every generation since the SNES. Until streaming offers next to no latency controls, 4k resolution at 60fps with full HDR support, I can't see game streaming becoming the default anytime soon.

In other words, not any time soon!!! And i fully agree.

@Litchie: Him saying "this will probably happen" to a very unlikely thing makes him look like he don't know what he's talking about. Me shooting it down makes me look like I know more than him about the subject."

This is sig worthy. LOL

"If i disagree with your opinion Dr it means i know more about the field you work in"

@tgob89: Lems wishing for the end of consoles and generations LMAO"

Which lem?

I've been saying it for years. Game streaming is the inevitable future of console gaming. It's very likely the future of PC gaming as well but by that time it will just be gaming.

MS may buy over STEAM or steam bankrupt or GFWL to be returned,

Lol, you're living in fantasy land. Steam is still a growing business, Valve will not be letting their cash cow go anytime soon.

Damn :(

can I ask what’s wrong?

I have paranoid schizophrenia I got it when I was 20. I take tons of medications. I've been on medication for 20 years and it's slowly killing me. Chances are I might not see another 10 years. People with my condition usually don't live to see old age because of the medications. The meds cause heart kidney and liver disease. My liver is already damaged. The meds also cause other problems like diabetes and other severe problems. I developed a syndrome similar to Parkinsons called tardive dyskinesia. I can't stop taking the meds or I'll lose my marbles and start hearing voices and having hallucinations. When I first got sick the doctors told my mom I'd have to be institutionalized for the rest of my life. Medication helped me overcome the hallucinations but at the cost of my health. Video games are the only thing I really get enjoyment out of in life. I'm like a hermit too afraid to go out but at least I can talk to people online. For all outward appearances I look like an average person. Most people would never guess I have schizophrenia. I'm very good at hiding it. I usually don't tell people or talk about it because of the stigma associated with being so called crazy.

Yeah oK, right.

Not really. Streaming services would be ran on hardware made by either of the two companies.

Its a scary world we live in where games would be more important than hardware it runs on. Such a crazy and unfounded philosophy.

Indeed, this is the next logical step.

Here we go again.

Game Streaming is a double edged sword.... it may on the service seem "Consumour Friendly" being "Always available" and doesn't require "Expensive hardware" but it generates many more problems:

1. Ownership of games will be completely lost (at least DD's offer as part of thier terms an end of life download)
2. HDR, ATMOS? 4K? Excellent sound? Excellent image quality? SAY GOOD BYE
3. Input delay - yea, this is never going away ...... the physical networking alone is just too much...
4. Mods? well shit.. unless some offer "Control of the host server settings" then modding is a thing of the passt
5. uncompetitive pricing due to complete control. (consoles have this already with 1 DD store).
6. Games being unplayable far sooner to lower host costs

Streaming has the frightening potential to be completely anti-consumor and lower the quality of gaming overall.

It should never replace, but live alongside as an additional service.

@gtx021: not happening

There's no doubt that streaming is the future... but it's obvious that future is still a long way away. Many, many countries still don't have the infrastructure for it. And I think even if people had awesome internet speeds, they'd still prefer to play games natively atm.

People have been saying for years that the "next generation will be the last", and yet consoles still sell like hotcakes.

All of that is true, which is why PC gaming will hold out a lot longer but for the console manufacturers it's an easy way to increase profits and reduce costs at the same time.

Streaming will def hit the consoles pretty hard. When streaming services start coming out and supporting third party and/or exclusives, it will def. Take a good majority of software sales away where I think MS and Sony will have a tough time with dedicated consoles, probably have to sell at a loss. Nintendo probably wouldnt be affected much as they have low price and already sustain without third party.

Probably why MS has been focused so much in securing cloud tech and building up services. Can only assume that Amazon/Twitch, Google and maybe Apple might jump in at some point with streaming services.

Streaming may take over but you still need a console to play it. Most people don't want to game on PC, not because of discs but constant buying maintenance with drives, cards, memory etc etc. Knowing Nintendo, they wouldn't go that far with it, in most cases, we'll see physical games by Nintendo and when Streaming does makes it's way to the fray, I'll be sticking to PC/Nintendo console.

Bye bye Sony/MS.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Maybe in 20 years it's hard to say.