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Forums - Gaming - Future of console gaming/physical media

pterodactyl on 24 August 2009

With the increase in digitally distributed movies and games and new services like OnLive, do you think the days of the video game console are numbered? Do you think there will be a point where we will no longer buy consoles and/or games but just download and play them or stream them? When you think about it, it's not without precedent. Look at music. CD sales have plummeted since 2000 while downloads (both illegal and legal) have gone through the roof. Services like iTunes have essentially replaced music stores. Do you think we could eventually see services like that for video games?



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marktheshark275 on 24 August 2009

Well, I hope they don't go the digital distribution way entirely. I like being able to collect games & display them proudly. I also like being able to take the games to my friend's house & play them with him.



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Khuutra on 24 August 2009

The idea of all console games being digital makes me nervous for DRM reasons, but we'll see how that goes.



shio on 24 August 2009

I do think something like that will happen. Hardware will become less relevant, and it will be the digital services that will take mindshare, which is exactly what's happening on PC.

Onlive though, might accelerate this trend on consoles because they are releasing a mini-console that will allow you to play all Onlive games without needing a PC.



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Wii_Master on 24 August 2009

I think there is chance for it to happen considering PSPGo is going in that direction and that is why I am not buying the pspgo. (another main reason is because ds has more games!!)



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pterodactyl on 24 August 2009

More specifically, do you think we'll reach a point where there are no more PS's, no more XBox's, no more Nintendo consoles, but just one console from which you can download software from companies that used to make consoles? For example, could a service like OnLive send Nintendo, MS, and Sony the way of Sega, and if so, is that something you look forward to?



Crashdown77 on 24 August 2009

I'm scared/excited/interested to see where this is going. It's scary because gaming is my main hobby, and I think hobbies should have trappings, also because they could start to control all prices, no more used to put pressure on prices. I'm excited because I love technology and advancement. Interested because when technology proliferates like this, a lot of times the end result is so different than the people who started it ever dreamed it would be, and I want to see what this is going to look liek 5-10 years from now.



Mummelmann on 24 August 2009

This subject again? There will be a time for physical media to become inferior and useless but that won't be as early as the next generation of consoles.
Compression (especially of HD signals and content) is far too low and the average internet connection is way too slow globally for that to happen in quite some time (less than 10% have connections faster 1Mb per second).