• BBC News, Friday, October 19, 2007 10:45 AM

Electronics Arts, the world's largest third-party developer of video game software, called on hardware makers Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to abandon the console wars and help build a common gaming platform. EA believes that an open video game platform would not only drive innovation by enhancing competition, but help developers cut costs. Third-party software makers currently have to develop three versions of the same game to reach as many gamers as possible. Hardware makers, meanwhile, typically lose money on consoles, anyway, as most of the revenue is recouped through software sales.

"We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said Gerhard Florin, EA's head of international publishing. "We're platform agnostic."

Florin's request may soon be moot, as gaming increasingly turns to the Web. Analysts say that set-top boxes like those developed by Apple and cable providers like Comcast are becoming more powerful and may soon absorb the video game console market. Even so, Florin believes the console wars could last another 15 years, which is why he's calling on hardware makers to collaborate on a common platform.

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