Activision haven’t exactly had the rosiest of relationships with console manufacturers over the past few months. Which would be a problem for a console games manufacture, were they not working on games that didn’t even need a console.
Speaking at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco earlier today, Activision boss Bobby Kotick has told attendees to “expect many of our products to be playable independent of a console”, with the company particularly impressed with the potential of streaming services such as OnLive.
That and cereal box Guitar Hero.
Activision games to bypass consoles [GameSpot]
j
September 15, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Interesting. I think there’ll be a console market for a long time coming though. It all comes down the the individual capacities of broadband networks in different countries. If your willing to opt out of physical media then I think your also opting out on large sections of the market.
Report PermalinkRigour
September 15, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Couldn’t agree more, Australia is a long way off being able to support something like this.
I also wonder though, how many of the “Average Joe” type consumers are going to have the time\patience to understand how onLive works, or to be able to configure their home network to really take advantage of it. It’s one thing to put a disk in the drive, it’s another to have to forward ports from your router to lower your ping because your FPS sucks and the game is non-responsive.
Report PermalinkBraaains
September 15, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Not to mention the frustration encountered at the end of each month when you hit the roof of your broadband quota and find yourself not only unable to play games online for the rest of the month, but unable to play your games at all. I.e. those games you paid money for and are now unable to play.
Report Permalinkannonie
September 15, 2009 at 12:37 PM
I love consoles. I hate EA.
Report PermalinkKorwin
September 15, 2009 at 1:40 PM
FYI, Activision isnt EA :P
Report PermalinkDutch
September 15, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I love consoles, I hate Activision.
Report PermalinkBlah2
September 15, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Activison doesn’t know anything except how to make plastic instruments.
Report PermalinkT-Rocket
September 15, 2009 at 4:36 PM
and even then they are crappy and don’t work well.
Report PermalinkSchvagnum PI
September 15, 2009 at 4:15 PM
“Activision Looking To A Future Where Consoles Aren’t Needed”
They’re called board games!
Anyway I’m Looking To A Future Where Activision Isn’t Needed
Report PermalinkRen Finlayson
September 15, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Blah 2, they dont even know how to do that very well. Or at least Red octane.
I have about 5 stuffed guitars and 1 stuffed drum set currently.
Report Permalinkhristinho18
September 16, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Sounds like Activision are still completely out of touch. Consoles allow everyone to have same hardware and play identical software. No ’11 System Requirements’ to check every time. This is what most people=customers- esp Mum & Dad buyers- want… plug, put-in and play. Those of us who are bothered to keep our gaming PCs up to date are the same ones who probably are not ‘purchasing’ all their gaming IP.
Report PermalinkDownload-only games are near-impossible to market effectively without instore point of sale which costs nothing compared to media advertising. I am still amazed at how many people own say Orange Box and dont realise full capability of Steam other and download-purchase avenues.
Gaming industry is staying afloat BECAUSE of store-bought games, NOT in spite of it.
Activision- take a minute out from your money fights and bean counting and actually talk- in person- to those who part with their hard-earned to play your games. Its not all about night-vis goggles, Northrend mousepads and improved-strumbar peripherals.