Unity CEO and former Electronic Arts chief, John Riccitiello recently spoke at the GamesBeat summit about a number of different topics. When the conversation turned to who really won the console wars between the Xbox One and the PS4 the exec wasn’t remotely shy about detailing why he felt Sony won.

Among other things, Riccitiello said that Sony won the battle because Microsoft bet on some big ideas, that stretched past gaming and lost. Sony, on the other hand toook a “gamers first” approach to things and found their audience. Riccitiello also said that Microsoft tried to take on Apple with the Xbox One “they didn’t feel gaming was big enough to justify the pent-up desire … to have the recognition they wanted as an innovator.”

Summing up the battle between the two companies as a game of billiards, he characterized Microsoft as looking at the shot, after the shot they needed to make. Microsoft missed the 7-ball in the corner pocket and didn’t have the opportunity to take that other shot. Sony instead focused on the shot they needed to make right now. “A tight execution on the 50 million people that matter, which are the people currently lapping up consoles … Sony [expletive] nailed it, and they deserve the victory.” Riccitiello added.

Finally, as his time at GamesBeat wound town, the Unity CEO opined on the future of gaming and admitted that right now, no one can afford the equipment that will really change gaming in a huge way. He closed with, “That beautiful zenith is just going to take more money and more time.”

“I think they’ll be bigger than the last generation, actually. The last generation can be described as supercharged engines – they had super-powerful boxes. But the entirety of the online communication and being able to connect to your friends and all that stuff, a seamless, smooth, social experience, was just masking tape – barely put together.

“Remember that this was eight years ago. Most people were just moving on from their 28k modems. Now these are fully functioning, fully integrated online computers connected to the best screen in your house.”

Riccitiello also believes that it will be ease of use that will make next-gen consoles more appealing, rather than being always connected. “You put a super computer under your TV, plug it in with one connection and it works. It knows who you are, it knows what your games are and it’s unbelievably simple; it’s not like PC plug and play, it’s just plug and play. The next generation of consoles are going to be a massive improvement on user interface. So I think that ‘s going to matter.”

“The risk is that either or both of the new platforms emphasize these ‘value-add’ experiences too much, both in the user interface on the consoles themselves, or in the story they tell consumers when they unleash their avalanche of advertising.”

Of course, not repeating the mistakes of the past like overpricing hardware is obvious. But Riccitiello does state that certain “third-rail topics” like DRM and used games need to be handled carefully. This can be done by embracing a more open ecosystem, in his opinion.

“It needs to be simple, seamless and without a bunch of headaches with multiple registration, identity and pay gates. The walled garden will fall eventually.”

John Riccitiello is a rich man and his exit package from EA is valued at $4.7 million. He resigned from the company citing accountably reasons as EA was not going to hit the targets they set one year earlier.

The company is in a good condition he said in his farewell letter. The market hasn’t reacted well to this news as the stock is down by 8.3 per cent to $17.15. The stock has already fallen way below what it was a few years ago but it looks like the stock could bounce back when a new CEO is announced.

Peter Moore is likely to replace him as the CEO of EA.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and after six years I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the Company into its next phase of innovation and growth. I remain very optimistic about EA’s future – there is a world class team driving the Company’s transition to the next generation of game consoles.”

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Via Gamespot.

Riccitiello, who began his tenure in 2007, stated that, “EA is an outstanding company with creative and talented employees, and it has been an honor to serve as the Company’s CEO.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and after six years I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the Company into its next phase of innovation and growth. I remain very optimistic about EA’s future – there is a world class team driving the Company’s transition to the next generation of game consoles.”

Business has never quite been the same for EA since Riccitiello took over. While many practices such as micro-transactions took center-stage, he was also responsible for many of EA’s more creative titles like Spore and Mirror’s Edge.

One of EA’s more recent debacles has been with SimCity’s server troubles and always-online play.

During the interview Riccitiello was asked whether he has seen “Nintendo’s 3DS personally” he answered: “It’s like one of these things here where with Nintendo where you’ve got to be very careful here because they’ve got a lot to say at E3, and I want to be careful to not accidentally transgress an NDA.” but he did carefully phrase and said “I’ve seen it; it’s cool”.

Stay tuned for more details here at GamingBolt .