I was reading this article about the grand aspirations of cable companies exploring opportunities to push video games directly to televisions. If successfully initiated, this shift in content delivery will have huge impacts on the console business.
A couple months back, I wrote this blog post highlighting Sony’s decision to acquire Gaikai who focuses solely on the aspect of streaming games via the cloud. Also in that post, I referenced Electronic Arts’ decision to push to a digital distribution method for their games. They’ve been relatively successful with the launch of their Origin platform, so it can only continue to grow from there.
As the pricing for Smart TV’s slowly starts to fall, the home penetration will continue to rise with companies like Samsung and LG Electronics leading the charge. So it makes sense on many levels to continue advancing to what would eventually be a completely digital distribution model for content.
Given that I have an Xbox 360®, a PlayStation®3 and a Nintendo Wii™, I will have no issue freeing up space in my entertainment center if cable companies can pull this endeavor off successfully.
What about controllers? During this year’s CES, I wrote about a company called Aiwi that was showcasing the ability to play games using your smartphone. Not only do they have their own games, but they also have the rights to leverage other franchises such as Assassin’s Creed or Need for Speed. Right about now you should be seeing the possibilities. And if gaming companies really want to capitalize, it’d be a great way to leverage their handheld systems like the PlayStation® Vita, Nintendo 3DS™ or even the Microsoft Surface™.
Regardless, I think we still have some time before this fantasy becomes a reality. We’ll probably get at least one more iteration of a console cycle while the big wigs have their power lunches to work out the right deal.
I guess you could say I was looking to the cloud…dreaming.
