EA is calling for console giants such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony to develop a single gaming platform, which would remove unnecessary difficulties for developers and consumers. "We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," Gerhard Florin, head of international publishing at EA, says in a BBC report.

"We're platform-agnostic and we definitely don't want to have one platform which is a walled garden." Florin claims that the importance of online games and set-top boxes will continue to grow, but that the use of dedicated consoles such as the Wii or the Sony PS3 could last "up to 15 years." His comments follow the revelation earlier this week, that Sony is developing its own in-game advertising network.

EA currently produces games for more than 14 different gaming systems, including consoles, portable devices and PCs. However, Florin says that the different platforms did not improve the consumer experience. "You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii - the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on." In the future, gaming will most likely not lie with dedicated consoles, but "will just require potentially a GBP49.99 (USD100) box from Tesco made in China with a hard drive, a Wi-Fi connection and a games engine inside," games consultant Nick Parker says in the report. Forward to colleagues