Geek Oasis - Issue 01 Unit 28 Afes D.-Task 2-Interactive PDF | Page 5

be some time yet before gamers will see
“ the It will
end of console gaming, and there will remain a
novelty associated with retro platforms and physi-
cal game ownership.
”
petitive (or even fun) platform to play
on.
Again, this is a slow process and that
can’t be stressed enough. Eventual-
ly the internet speed available to the
population will be sufficient enough
for games to be streamed without so
much as batting an eye. Even then,
why would the entire industry uproot
its existing model in favor of focusing
on streaming? Because accessibility
and affordability are a proven pairing,
and both are present in spades through
pursuing a platform that’s not limited
by hardware.
It will be some time yet before gamers
will see the end of console gaming, and
there will remain a novelty associated
with retro platforms and physical game
ownership. Still, if accessing a growing
library of games is as easy as paying
a modest subscription fee every month
or simply opening a browser on a mo-
bile device to access one’s library then
people will flock to it. The value is ev-
ident when the next Halo, Assassin’s
Creed, or Mario Kart is readily available
to anyone with WiFi.
It’s going to take time for advance-
ments to be made, but the end result
will eventually mean that gaming be-
comes more affordable and easier to
access from both a hardware and pub-
lishing standpoint. It also likely means
that there will be a number of changes
happening in the not too distant future
as game companies make major acqui-
sitions to beef up their libraries and
sign exclusive content deals to make
their platforms standout amongst com-
petition – much like how Microsoft has
been buying up game studios for its
Xbox brand.
Abandoning traditional consoles is a
challenging thing to fathom because,
up until now, they’ve always been
around. They’ll still be around for at
least another generation too as inter-
net streaming technologies catch up to
speed, and there’s something genuinely
soothing in knowing that. Ultimately,
streaming across devices and broaden-
ing the consumer base is a win for the
companies pursuing these initiatives,
but it also benefits the wallets of con-
sumers.
RILEY LITTLE
MAR 24TH, 2019
2