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bunchanumbers on 06 March 2015
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Shadow1980 said:
bunchanumbers said:


But there won't be only one streaming service. Sony will have one, MS will have one, Nvidia will have one, OnLive will have one as well. Plus there will be others. Just like how there is Netflix, there is Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBOGO etc.

Also something you forget is that a bluray isn't dependent on the power of the hardware. Or rather, that the cost to make a bluray run is negligible. Its not like that with games. Its why it will be dependent on streaming more than ever. This goes back to the hardware development costs that console makers wouldn't want to pay again.

But there will be options, like you said. If you don't like PSNow, Rio, GriD, or OnLive, there will always be PC and Nintendo who will provide physical game options.

Re: First bolded. That's not what I meant by choice. I don't mean choice of subscription services. I mean choice to buy a disc, and actual physical product that I own forever. If I don't have that choice, then I'm not interested, and I think the vast majority of console gamers feel the same way. The "ownership culture" made itself heard loud and clear back in spring 2013.

Re: Second bolded. If Nintendo is the only one still providing physical, they'll be the only one relevant in the market. Mark my words: the first console maker to pull the trigger on digital-only is going the way of Sega. Digital-only isn't happening. Period. Neither the demand nor the infrastructure is there.


MS made a mistake in that they tried to do a hybrid version of digital with a disc drive in the X1, along with physical console specs. MS should have went full streaming or full physical. If it was full streaming, they wouldn't be faced with the limitations of the X1 hardware. They would have the best versions of all 3rd party games and their first party games would look extraordinary and at 1080p and 60 fps. But the infrastructure wasn't ready for it yet.

And yes, Nintendo will most likely be the only console maker left. But they won't end up with a monopoly on gaming either. By the time Nintendo is the only one left, most people will accept that they would rather have the prettiest version of a game that they can take wherever they want over a console with physical hardware limitations. Not to mention that most 3rd party publishers will most likely refuse to water down their games to port on a Nintendo system. So Nintendo will still be in the same boat they are in now.

Unless Nintendo agrees to carry MS, Sony, and almost every other 3rd party publishers streaming service.