VIDEO GAMES: Eliminating consoles is the next step in video game technology.
By Amy Wang, Staff Writer
No console? No problem! Talk of new technology that permits the digital distribution of video games without the use of game consoles has created a buzz in the gaming world. This breakthrough will mark a giant step forward in technology for everyone, gamers and researchers alike.
Sony recently bought Gaikai, a Cloud-based system that streams video games to electronic devices, a couple of months back. Cable companies are also discussing similar techniques with which to deliver video games straight to TVs. Everyone is racing to perfect the next big thing in gaming.
Still, the transition to a consoleless world isn’t an easy one. No doubt this is a challenge if companies want the video games to run as smoothly as they do on consoles. They will require a large database and deep pockets just to get the system going, and not to mention the proper software to actually set it up.
However, not everyone sees this as a positive change. If video games were to stream directly to TVs, they would need a steady Internet connection. The whole system relies on a Cloud-based network to store and then deliver the games. And if said Internet connection ever falters, as it often does, the game slows down – or worse, progress is lost and the game disconnects. All of these are risks gamers do not want to take.
Nonetheless, this new system offers a plethora of benefits as well. With it, there is no need to buy new consoles every time a new one is released, or wait around for a game that is compatible with your console. In fact, hypothetically, there is no wait at all. Load the game, plug the controller into the TV, and bam – you’re good to go. It will no longer be necessary to drive to Game Stop or wait in line.
Jakcob Pluimer (10) approves of the transition, saying “it would make [gaming] more efficient.” Philip Baker (11) enjoys playing games of all varieties, and he also wouldn’t mind the change. “I don’t see any problems with that,” he said when asked about his views on disposing the console in place of delivering video games straight to TVs.
Game makers also benefit from the new system. They will no longer have to create different forms of the game to accommodate each console; everything will be available for any player to use. (And, for environmentalists, less physical copies mean less plastic cases!)
And of course, the biggest benefactors are those who matter most: gamers themselves. They save money from consoles and games, save time from buying them and still enjoy the same results in the end.
If the technology works out, this will profoundly change the gaming world from the old norm. Still, there are many bumps in the road before this new system can ever be perfected to run as smoothly as the consoles do now.
As for consoles, they won’t immediately disappear; there will undoubtedly be those who prefer them to the Cloud-system. But as more and more games appear online, via desktop or TV, less hard copies will be manufactured. There will be a gradual transition until everyone is ready to give up the past and move on to the future.
Until then, enjoy your games whichever way you prefer, because the research has not yet reached its final level. There are many obstacles to overcome until consoles reach a Game Over.