Console business needs radical rethink, says Romero

John Romero expects home consoles to undergo a radical redesign if they are to compete in the future against cheap PCs and the services they can offer.

For Romero, ex-designer at id Software and Ion Storm, the Xbox 360 and PS3 will need to offer all the functions and services of the home PC — not just gaming, but every aspect of home entertainment.

"My prediction is that the game console in the vein of the PS3 and Xbox 360 is going to either undergo a massive rethink or go away altogether," said Romero in an interview with The Adrenaline Vault.

"Next-gen console is big but its future isn't too bright with the emergence of cheap PC multicore processors and the big change the PC industry will go through during the next five years to accommodate the new multicore-centric hardware designs."

"The hardcore gamers are going to either be playing on their PCs or a new PC-like platform that sits in the living room but still serves the whole house over Wi-Fi, even the video signal," he added

However, Romero, currently president of Slipgate Ironworks, does see opportunities in the Nintendo Wii, which has taken a different direction to the Xbox 360 and PS3 by not trying to perform all the duties associated with a high-end PC.

"The Wii has the perfect design for a console that doesn't pretend to be a PC and is geared more toward casual gamers than hardcore gamers," he said.