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[wsippel]

I could certainly see this happening. Maybe the next "Xbox" is actually just a service, not a piece of hardware (except for a set-top box, possibly). Maybe Sony won't take the risk to create a new console considering their current situation. Maybe neither, maybe both. Not that I'd take any bets either way, but I wouldn't be all that surprised, either.

 

[jcm]

I don't believe she's right, but she has a very impressive resume. This isn't just linkbait chatter from some Joe Shmoe via Kotaku.

 

[mrklaw]

Let's clarify something: if MS, Sony, or Nintendo could economically and effectively deliver games to you from the cloud, they would love to do it. There are big and obvious advantages there in terms of controlling piracy etc. And it could be very efficient vs manufacturing lots of 'heavy' client boxes.

It wouldn't be about 'giving up' on the console race, or going third party. The console race would just turn into the service race. They'd all still want to be gatekeepers, platform holders - as gakai and onlive are trying to be with cloud streaming today. You'd probably even still have (tiny) little boxes with controllers and a Nintendo or MS or Sony logo emblazoned on it.

But I think it's pretty certain that none of the three console manufacturers think it's going to be time to switch to a cloud-based model any time very soon, as a core of their business. They haven't even gone exclusively digital, and there are much more difficult barriers to going exclusively cloud. I think you'll see them all, sooner or later, use cloud streaming for different applications (instant demos seems obvious), and maybe even start offering their libraries streamed over the air as an option (Sony even recently suggested that might do it with some legacy titles), but a box that can locally do all the work won't start disappearing next gen.

Instant demos sounds good. I'd accept a loss of quality for instant play. And for PS+ owners with 1 hour demos, that makes more sense than downloading tons of data for a short play.

 

[GazzaScotland]

Out of the two of them, the one that can afford to throw silly money at a new console is Microsoft.

 

[[Nintex]]

Plot twist: Maybe Nintendo scrapped Wii U

 

[Rat Salad]

If Sony is out then I'll stick to PC gaming only.

LOL. Its not like those Sony developers will just ruin to the PC yaknow. Youre just short changing yourself as a gamer if youre attitude is gonna be like this. Jesus

 

[sixteen-bit]

Plot twist: Maybe Nintendo scrapped Wii U

That seems most unlikely of all.

 

[funkystudent]

I dont think anyone is gonna release another "games console"


The video steaming and social stuff is just as important as games now a days to these systems and the next round of systems are gonna be the first systems designed from the ground up around them. The actual games will be less of a selling point and it will be down to the services each box offers.



Plus WHY THE FUCK WOULD ANYONE ANNOUNCE THEY ARE BOWING OUT OF THE CONSOLE RACE AT E3!

Thats a press release after a really bad earnings report kind of thing.

 

[Clear]

And exactly why would Gaikai be privy to such heavy strategic information? They're hardly a proven success story.

 

[GeoramA]

i would love to see Sony ditch the console and turn into a publisher like Sega.

bring Uncharted, God of War, etc. to Steam please!

Wish it was that simple. Would be a PC-only gamer for sure.

But what would happen to my PSN purchases, PS+ subscription, and trophies?

 

[[Nintex]]

I don't believe she's right, but she has a very impressive resume. This isn't just linkbait chatter from some Joe Shmoe via Kotaku.

Yep, looking at her linked in she served as the Senior Vice President/COO, Global Online
at Electronic Arts untill the end of 2010.

 

[Rahxephon91]

It really does not matter to me. While I'm no fan of MS's new casual focus, it won't matter in the end as they will just get all of the third party support anyway. Likewise, I don't really care about what Sony brings to the table with the PS so missing them would no bother me. But it would just be the same thing without MS. I would just buy a PS and be done with it.

At the end of the day it really dosent matter.

 

[iamshadowlark]

And exactly why would Gaikai be privy to such heavy strategic information? They're hardly a proven success story.

Because Gaikai and the big three are the best of friends, didn't ya hear?

 

[Stumpokapow]

Microsoft and Sony:
Either Gaikai or OnLive will bow out of the streaming race

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

Consider the home and entertainment division has been massively profitable in recent years despite every non xbox venture flopping, probably.

Have the XBox specific figures ever been released anywhere?

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Plot twist: Maybe Nintendo scrapped Wii U

... They were at CES.

I can definitely see Sony skipping this gen since the jump to next gen wouldn't be drastic enough what with devs talking about targeting 720P and 30 FPS. The efficiency just isn't there yet for both raw power and clean IQ. As someone else mentioned, Sony subsisting off of Wii U cross ports definitely could keep them afloat for a few more years

 

[Vice]

What does that have to do with winning money? MSFT has lost money during the Xbox 360 generation (mainly because of extended warranty and shitty hardware), and let's not even talk about the Xbox generation.

They wanted to win money with the 360, but they have expended more than they earned, bad business for them. I said I don't expect either to pull out, but I can see why MSFT would be less interested than Sony.

It's true that the Xbox helped MSFT to have a much better image (I remember those pre-Xbox days just too well), but that already happened, MSFT has the good will of people, Windows 7 is a good OS, as good as it gets, the Xboxs are functioning now, but what reason do they have to continue on a market that has costed them billions of dollars? A new console means bleeding money you don't know you'll gain... Unless you want them to basically make a new Wii...

LOL, just see how the SEGA first party teams are doing now. If you buy them, who'll buy them back? I'm sorry, but Sony has invested a lot of money, to me that means they will definitely continue making consoles.

Where are you getting your information from. I remember reading a year ago that the 360 generation had begun to make a profit for MS.

 

[gofreak]

Wish it was that simple. Would be a PC-only gamer for sure.

But what would happen to my PSN purchases, PS+ subscription, and trophies?

Entertaining this for a second...if Sony (or MS) was to give up local console boxes in favour of cloud streaming, they would be doing it on their own 'turf'. You'd be streaming Sony games from a PSN service, MS games from a XBL service. In terms of your old purchases, please enjoy playing them over the network

Microsoft and Sony:
Either Gaikai or OnLive will bow out of the streaming race

A lot more likely!

 

[Marco1]

Wish it was that simple. Would be a PC-only gamer for sure.

But what would happen to my PSN purchases, PS+ subscription, and trophies?

I imagine they would carry over to the service.
If not then this is why I always hesitate before buying anything DLC or store related.
The more you purchase from a company the more they have your balls in their grasp when a new console arrives.

 

[AgentP]

Sony's books alrady show huge R&D spent for the PS4, there is no secret it is coming.

"For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life," he said, "but this is a platform business, so for the future platform - when we'll be introducing what product I cannot discuss that - but our development work is already under way, so the costs are incurred there."

 

[wsippel]

Out of the two of them, the one that can afford to throw silly money at a new console is Microsoft.

Certainly. Doesn't mean it makes much sense from a business standpoint, though.

 

[jcm]

Plus WHY THE FUCK WOULD ANYONE ANNOUNCE THEY ARE BOWING OUT OF THE CONSOLE RACE AT E3!

Kaz Hirai giving an E3 keynote that begins with "We're not making another game console. The PS3 will be the last home game machine you own", and following it up with the launch of PlayAnywhere - streaming, high fidelity gaming on any device with a screen, in conjunction with their partner Gaikai - would be big news.

I don't think it will happen, but if it did E3 would be as good a place as any to announce it.

 

[mrklaw]

Plus WHY THE FUCK WOULD ANYONE ANNOUNCE THEY ARE BOWING OUT OF THE CONSOLE RACE AT E3!

Thats a press release after a really bad earnings report kind of thing.

they wouldn't be announcing they're bowing out. They'd be announcing their new platform, it just happens not to be a big, hot, heavy box.

 

[gofreak]

Here's something that wouldn't surprise me if it's economical - backwards compatibility via streaming. 'Register' disc games ala the Vita UMD program, pay a little fee, have streamed access to them.

Though I wonder if there'd be a whole new set of licensing problems for that...

 

[Futureman]

Streaming-only makes sense for a small company like GoLive or Gaikai. I don't see anyway at all MS or Sony would exclude so many potential customers with an online-only console.

This company is just tooting their own horn trying to get more exposure.

 

[Marco1]

Kaz Hirai giving an E3 keynote that begins with "We're not making another game console. The PS3 will be the last home game machine you own", and following it up with the launch of PlayAnywhere - streaming, high fidelity gaming on any device with a screen, in conjunction with their partner Gaikai - would be big news.

I don't think it will happen, but if it did E3 would be as good a place as any to announce it.

I agree, the option to plug a dualshock into a new sony HDTV and start playing their games from their store would be massive news.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

Microsoft and Sony:
Either Gaikai or OnLive will bow out of the streaming race

Gaikai and OnLive seem like the 3DO or CDI of streaming services, too early and too shitty to reslly get anywhere. Streaming is the place I think everyone wants to be eventually (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Apple, Valve, Google, etc), and when they really get there I expect both OnLive and Gaikai to be ancient footnotes.

 

[Garcia]

Wow, feels like 2004/5 all over again with all these doom threads! LOL.

 

[funkystudent]

Out of the two of them, the one that can afford to throw silly money at a new console is Microsoft.

but sony just released a console last month.... its called the Vita.

Does that count?


Actually would there be the R&D difference between designing a handheld vs home console?

They both have very different challenges.

Now the game development costs are another story but Im just talking hardware here.

 

[Kuroyume]

Perfect. Now Sega can jump back i to the console game.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Kaz Hirai giving an E3 keynote that begins with "We're not making another game console. The PS3 will be the last home game machine you own", and following it up with the launch of PlayAnywhere - streaming, high fidelity gaming on any device with a screen, in conjunction with their partner Gaikai - would be big news.

I don't think it will happen, but if it did E3 would be as good a place as any to announce it.

It would be big news, but this shows that it isn't going to happen

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34193396&postcount=48

There's no way that any of the major console manufacturers will take a ridiculous gamble like streaming gaming.

 

[Marco1]

Wow, feels like 2004/5 all over again with all these doom threads! LOL.

I agree, I logged on today and thought console and handheld gaming was ending this summer.

 

[iamshadowlark]

Sony's books alrady show huge R&D spent for the PS4, there is no secret it is coming.

Finacial statement?

 

[jbueno]

Perfect. Now Sega can jump back i to the console game.

Maybe a joint SNK/SEGA home/arcade system like the NeoGeo. I would get a massive acute coronary syndrome.

 

[Marco1]

The problem with streaming is my area doesn't have the bandwidth.
I pay for unlimited 16MB speeds and I get 2.5MB and I live in a well populated area close to a major city.
BT is not ready for this for me to make it worth my while so MS or Sony would lose me overnight.

 

[ii Stryker]

Sony is more profitable with their TV's.

Building a TV with the PS3 tech AND having a cloud gaming service built in sounds reasonable

Gives a whole new meaning to the Playstation Network

 

[iamshadowlark]

The problem with streaming is my area doesn't have the bandwidth.
I pay for unlimited 16MB speeds and I get 2.5MB and I live in a well populated area close to a major city.
BT is not ready for this for me to make it worth my while so MS or Sony would lose me overnight.

Im pretty sure that would be the majority of the country, or at least a decent chunk. But hey the Gaikai lady said it so...

 

[mephixto]

Microsoft said many times that the future is digital distribution and no blu-ray. It's possible that next Xbox is gonna be something like OnLive.

 

[anddo0]

BS!

I believe this will happen. But after the upcoming iterations of the new PS/Xbox.

 

[Haunted]

Plus WHY THE FUCK WOULD ANYONE ANNOUNCE THEY ARE BOWING OUT OF THE CONSOLE RACE AT E3!

To draw attention to all your awesome upcoming third party games, obviously!

 

[Marco1]

I agree with the above statement in that when MS and Sony are ready to take this move, onlive and gaikai will crumble and they know it.

 

[iamshadowlark]

Microsoft said many times that the future is digital distribution and no blu-ray. It's possible that next Xbox is gonna be something like OnLive.

I guess Microsoft is gonna dig into that pot of theirs and provide some contributions to America's infrastructure, because everyone else is dragging there feet.

 

[ii Stryker]

Microsoft said many times that the future is digital distribution and no blu-ray. It's possible that next Xbox is gonna be something like OnLive.

Whats more interesting is they were doing bandwidth tests last summer.

I'm more inclined to believe this will happen first

Microsoft and Sony:
Either Gaikai or OnLive will bow out of the streaming race

 

[Averon]

What's with all this recent talks of Sony, MS or Nintendo bowing out? No one is going anywhere anytime soon. The most vulnerable of the three, Sony, would have to have another PS3 level financial disaster for them to seriously consider dropping out, and I just can't see that happening.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

Sony is more profitable with their TV's.

I thought their TV division was hemorrhaging money?

 

[AgentChris]

I thought their TV division was hemorrhaging money?

They brought in Masashi Imamura to run their TV business. This man did wonders with Sony's consumer/professional camera business.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

"MS will announce a new sandwich maker at E3"
"Sony will debut a new line of pies"
"Nintendoccino? It's more likely than you think."

- The CES caterer

 

[Sidewinder]

Microsoft said many times that the future is digital distribution and no blu-ray. It's possible that next Xbox is gonna be something like OnLive.

That's almost certain, but nextgen is far too early. Next nextgen maybe.

 

[Zen]

Well... IF true... I mean I guess it would be Microsoft with some crazy left field re-alignment of their entertainment experience.

 

[KageMaru]

I can't see either MS or Sony cutting off at least 1/4 of their market to go purely digital streaming. We're still 10 years+ from this becoming standard IMO.

With Windows 7 sales.

You can not be serious.