Electronic Arts COO John Schappert took part in an investors conference call last night and went over some important issues facing the gaming industry and what he felt was more important to developers in the short term than in the long term. While Schappert can appreciate the beauty of 3D and ultimately believes that gaming will eventually receive its Avatar, he firmly believes that there are more important aspects to aim for like IPTV and device connectivity.

“My personal view is the larger idea, at least for the present, would be the connected game,” COO John Schappert said during an investor conference last night.

“I’m more in the camp that IPTV is a bigger idea for gaming, at least in the near term, than 3D is. It just provides a better social experience and you know that consumers playing with one another is a very positive and powerful motivator.”

Though companies such as Gaikai and OnLive are attempting to make IPTV gaming a growing reality, I’ve yet to see any true gamers really latch onto either idea and base their gaming experience around it. Furthermore, with Killzone 3 and MotorStorm Apocalypse just around the corner, I have a funny feeling that gaming is already about to meet its 3D version of Avatar. If neither of those titles can do the trick, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception certainly will.

“While there’s no doubt that our industry will have its Avatar, where 3D is a defining aspect of the game … I’m mostly interested, with all the mobile devices that are coming out, in how they’re being connected to one another and how the same IP is shared over the top,” he continued.

“I think that’s actually a bigger driver for EA and the industry in the near term.”

As a gamer, do you agree with Schappert or are you more excited about the 3D aspect of gaming? Do you think products like OnLive are more important to the industry right now or are you satisfied with how console gaming is taking shape as is?