Phil Harrison: The 'next generation' of games is the web browser
Speaking at the Italian Videogame Developers Conference, former Atari head and current co-founder of London Venture Partners, Phil Harrison, discussed his vision of the future of video games. Harrison believes that "the next generation platform for games" will be powerful web browsers, programs that will "deliver console level 3D graphics, video and audio." Such a browser will be able to deliver a title on par with Modern Warfare 2 noted Harrison, saying, "I think in the next five-to-ten years we will easily get this level of game inside a web browser, on your mobile platform, on your iPad, and we will be able to deliver that level of immersion to any kind of screen."
He added further that the boxed retail industry is being replaced by "a service industry where everything is delivered digitally on the internet." He pointed to the music industry as an example of this shift, saying that it's indicative of what's happening to the game industry. The crux of Harrison's speech, lest you haven't gathered, is that the future is online, a point he illustrated by noting that online games garner 68 percent of the industry's venture capital.
Head over to Develop for the full scoop on Harrison's keynote.
