Xbox Addict

Mark Rein: Next Xbox to support free-to-play

Epic Games vice president Mark Rein was at the Game Horizon conference in the United Kingdom, and he had some interesting this to say about the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720. In a roundtable discussion recorded by Joystiq, he revealed that both companies are investing heavily in free-to play and in-game purchases, similar to the model many mobile game developers use.

"The next-gen consoles are going to be fully embracing the free-to-play and these IAP-type business models...So in case you don’t know that I’m putting that out there. Sony and Microsoft are both going heavily in that area."

Both companies have begun dipping their toes in the free-to-play market. Happy wars is currently available on the Xbox 360 as a free download. Sony has also announced that the PlayStation 4 will have Blacklight: Retribution available for free as well.

Rein also specifically mentioned his hopes for the next gen Xbox, which will be revealed on May 21. He believes that the next-gen Xbox will improve the ease of use for users, and will take full advantage of cloud storage service to deliver a unique gaming experience unlike any other.

"I think what you’re going to see the new consoles do is a better job of making it easier...I think the real big thing that the consoles can do is improve their interfaces. They can improve the Xbox Live-type experience. They can improve their media center capabilities. But that’s only going to make them also better platforms for having your games. Your games will just come down from the cloud, you’ll be able to go to any Xbox, sign in, and boom, you’ll be able to play your game...I think they can make gaming a lot more convenient, and then I think you’ll game more if it’s more convenient."