Activision boss Robert Kotick is uncertain about next-gen consoles

While a lot of people are happy that next-gen consoles are finally on their way, some still seem to be wary. According to ExpertReviews, Activision boss Robert Kotick has revealed during a recent conference call that the next-gen consoles may not be very good news for the gaming industry.

A lot of the uncertainty comes from the fact that the gaming market has changed on a fundamental level since the launch of the last major consoles. Back when the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 were launched, the world wasn’t used to spending money on a new smartphone and tablet every year. The emergence of tablets as a viable gaming platform has also changed the industry in quite a lot of ways, with indie studios taking the spotlight.

Kotick is wary of the next-gen consoles

“We continue to face the uncertainties of the console transition,” Kotick warned investors. “There are still many unknown factors, such as pricing, launch dates and quantities, the level of first-party support and, importantly, consumer purchase intent in a world where consoles are no longer just competing with each other, but also with new platforms, such as smartphones and tablets.”

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Kotick also talks about Nintendo’s relatively new console - the Wii U. “In addition, the newest console, the Wii U, has had a very slow start,” he said. The console hasn’t been doing very well since its launch. This is in no way helped by the fact that some of the games that have been ported to the console haven’t been doing very well.

Kotick concludes, “All of these factors further heighten our concerns heading into the back half of the year, particularly during the very competitive fourth quarter.”