Xbox creator criticises Microsoft and says more powerful consoles are a dead end

Better graphics were a big selling point in the 2000s, but not so much nowadays (Microsoft)

With Microsoft promising another huge leap in technology for the next gen Xbox, the creator of the original console argues chasing stronger hardware is the wrong move.

The biggest question surrounding the eventual next gen hardware from Microsoft and Sony is what they can actually offer consumers, beyond simply being more powerful.

The graphical improvement from Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was already a small one this generation and yet it still increased the amount of time needed to make a triple-A to untenable levels. Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has argued that any further graphical and performance improvements will be so miniscule barely anyone will notice and he’s not the only that thinks that.

Seamus Blackley, the man credited for inventing the original Xbox, has expressed similar sentiments and doesn’t appear to think too highly of how Microsoft has been handling the Xbox brand lately.

Speaking with VideoGamer, Blackley said being the most powerful console around was a key selling point for the Xbox, when it released in 2001, since it needed something to position itself above its competitors – the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube.

‘It was just that was a story that really worked and that was relevant then because we were still sort of the nascent stages of graphics [sic],’ explained Blackley, adding how Microsoft was risking losing money on making the Xbox super powerful and banking on its games ‘being awesome.’

Nowadays, though, Blackley thinks ‘this narrative around being more powerful is not helpful today’ and it’s the games themselves that are far more important.

Blackley points to the Nintendo Switch as the obvious example, highlighting how often Blackley keeps playing The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.

How differently could things have gone if Blackley stayed at Microsoft? (YouTube)

Blackley also doesn’t agree with some of Microsoft’s business decisions since his departure in 2002: ‘How they managed that brand and the story going forward is not my f***ing fault, and it’s not, you know, I would not have done things the same way…’

Although Microsoft appears to have recognised it can’t compete with Sony anymore in terms of hardware, as evidenced by its willingness to bring first party titles to the PlayStation 5, it has promised to keep making new consoles.

However, it’s not clear what direction the next console will take and what the promise of the ‘biggest technological leap ever in a generation’ actually means – which taken at face value sounds like it’s continuing the narrative Blackley believes the company needs to drop.

Since that quote doesn’t actually mention graphics, there are theories that the next Xbox console will instead be heavily reliant on AI technology.

Microsoft is certainly committed to this sort of tech, having just recently announced new AI development tools that, despite the company’s assurances, seem likely to cause even more job losses in the industry.

Microsoft has also talked about a Xbox handheld device although it’s not clear what that is either. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has confirmed prototypes have been built but he’s also said the console is some way off, implying it’s not just a portable Xbox Series S.

There are several other handheld gaming devices on the market so it’s no wonder Microsoft would want a piece of the pie (Valve/Microsoft/Metro)

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