The death of consoles has been greatly exaggerated, former EA CEO John Riccitiello believes

Next-gen consoles are primed to succeed despite the rise of mobile gaming, former Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello wrote on Kotaku.

According to Riccitiello, many people he's talked to see smartphones and tablets "taking over the game biz." He disagrees, believing that the two "scratch different itches" and can coexist.

"But, I firmly believe that after eight long years of waiting, we're all ready for the next generation of consoles to bring us to a new frontier of immersive gaming," Riccitiello wrote.

He believes that Microsoft and Sony should focus on games and gamers first and "value-add" experiences that appeal to non-gamers second. The companies should also ensure that they can supply those who want the new machines after launch, price more competitively at launch than last generation and approach "third-rail" topics like DRM and support for used games without angering consumers.

"If they avoid the pitfalls that would keep them from getting all of that right, I am quite sure console gaming will (once again) be the next big thing," he wrote.

"So, if you are still debating whether mobile gaming will kill the next generation of consoles before they ship, my answer is no."

Riccitiello, who joined EA in 1997, stepped down as CEO in March, a decision he said at the time "all comes down to accountability."

Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 at a February event and this morning teased the console's design reveal at E3 2013. Microsoft will unveil its next-generation Xbox tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET, and Polygon will be there to bring you all the news.