In a gaming industry that thrives on what consumers want but don’t yet know they need, the next big idea is sitting in the living rooms of many U.S. households.
Live television is coming to home consoles, and Microsoft is looking to be the trendsetter as it unveils its pay TV service sometime in Q4 2011. Several providers have been in talks with the company as it looks to consolidate two of the most popular forms of media – video games and television.
Netflix has already made its service available to both Sony and Microsoft on their home consoles, the Playstation 3 and XBox 360. Now, major industry players such as Comcast and Verizon are said to be on board with the possibility of expanding into the video game market.
This trend will take home consoles a step closer to being the one-stop shop for entertainment that manufacturers had hoped for. The tip of the iceberg is just being realized at this point, and the next generation of consoles figures to become a major player in becoming multimedia hubs for the entire family.
The trends are clear. Sony has marketed its PS3 as the machine that “does everything”. With that in mind, the challenge will now be for the industry as a whole to find out what they are currently not doing and adjust accordingly. In a world driven by convenience, consumers will look to enjoy all of the media they can handle in one central place. Once they get a taste of what Comcast and Verizon are bringing to the table, they will be clamoring for more.
XBox will incorporate streaming content with its XBox Live Gold subscription service. Television providers will make live TV available as a separate service. If the price points are reasonable, expect this type of service to compete with cable TV. Channels such as MTV, HBO, Spike, Food Network, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon will all be made available live.
As a consumer, I like the idea of consolidating my media outlets. In addition to convenience, the potential to save money by eliminating costly cable bills is exciting. Others probably feel the same way, and the industry trending toward making these ideas possible is a step in the right direction.
Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Technology and follows all of the latest news, trends, and developments in the gaming industry.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJisyourhomeboy.
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