Ken Kutaragi, the creator of the PlayStation, took part in a panel discussion at Japan’s University of Electro-Communications as part of the opening ceremony of CEREC, a new academic research and education hub focused on games. Kutaragi spoke about how video games have changed over time, where the medium could go next, and why human curiosity matters.

As reported by GameWatch and 4Gamer, Kutaragi pointed to the size the global game industry has reached. The software market alone is valued at $186 billion, which puts it ahead of film, television and music. Even so, he does not see gaming as a mature industry that has reached its limits. He said he expects there are still major breakthroughs to come, even though games have come a long way since the early 1970s.

Kutaragi also shared a critique. While modern games have grown in scale and look better than ever, he said the content itself has stagnated. He feels recent games have strengthened that impression, and he noted that the way content is made is still basically the same as it was in the original PlayStation project he led.

He described the industry as being at a major turning point and ready to move to the “next stage.” Looking back on how his team built the PlayStation with the goal of “changing the world,” he said the game industry of the past created the world’s most cutting-edge technology instead of just following it. He encouraged the industry professionals and students at the panel to take the same approach in their own work.

Kutaragi also told students that following their curiosity, in games and in other areas, is a must. He explained that the neural networks in the human brain are at their peak at birth. As people grow and repeat the same actions, the networks that are seen as unnecessary are slowly cut away. “The moment you lose your curiosity and think, This is probably as good as it gets, it’s all over,” he said.

The message came as CEREC opened its doors, giving the students and developers in the room a clear idea of what the man behind the PlayStation expects from the next generation.