Next-gen consoles will be more accessible, 'service-oriented'

THQ boss Brian Farrell expects the next hardware generation - "if there are consoles" - to be less centred on raw power and more focused on accessible services and user interfaces.

Speaking at GamesBeat 2011, the exec also said he thinks Apple and Google will be in the mix competing with established platform holders Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

"We believe Apple is going to be there, Google is going to be there," he said, according to VentureBeat. "Our view is that the next generation of consoles, if there are consoles, are going to be less about technology and more about service orientation of the gamer."

Farrell suggested last October that the best strategic move for the industry is to extend the current hardware cycle with Move and Kinect. You look at the games coming out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 now and they look stunning," he said at the time. "Frankly, the last thing I think the industry needs now is new hardware."

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