Ubisoft Believes Next Gen is the Last for Consoles as Microsoft Looks Beyond Platforms

Microsoft recently told Variety that gaming is becoming increasingly about having your favorite games available on any device you own. Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot said he believes game consoles only have one more generation left in them before they fade away to be replaced completely by the ability to stream games to a multitude of platform-agnostic devices.

[chrisx]

I rem hearing stuff like this last gen. next gen can't be the last for consoles. doesn't make any sense.

[gangsta_red]

It makes a lot of sense. Look how far we have come with streaming and other similar services.

This type of hardware itself is only getting more expensive on release and then they become outdated in a short period of time.

It's definitely a possibility that next gen could be the last we see of consoles.

[chrisx]

Yea for xbox with their gaas and clouds future. Definitely not Sony and ninty.

[KTF26]

Streaming!!!
tried it on Gigabit Ethernet and I can feel the latency

[gamer7804]

streaming has come far, but it will never surpass a native experience with technology as we know it or even see it to be going towards. Once again pure speculation on the part of Ubisoft.

[Omnisonne]

Maybe somewhere in the future but not next gen. Most people have either limited or below average internet, if they rely solely on digital media and streaming they'll cut out a huge portion of their player base.

[Skull521]

It definitely could be and the rewards of doing it first could be well worth it. Not having to buy new hardware every 4-8 years and getting an upgraded hardware experience every time it is available with the cost of a low monthly subscription is an incredible selling point, provided it works well.

If I never had to assemble another gaming PC but was always able to play the games on max settings through a good service I’d do it for sure, I’d have no problem leaving the hardware aspect behind.

[Army_of_Darkness]

Didn't they say that last gen?? Lmfao!... Btw, console generation cycles don't end until Sony and Nintendo says so 😉

[starchild]

With the data caps most internet service providers have now I don't see game streaming as being a dominant method of gaming. I think dedicated individual hardware is going to be around for a long time to come.

[Smokingunz]

If the ps4 and switch wasn't selling well I'd believe u. The only thing that's going to happen is that consoles will become digital only. As long as their are pcs around and consoles continue to sell there will always. be consoles around. Microsoft is just making an excuse because they arent doing well.

Lets just say consoles did go all streaming, Microsoft still wouldn't well there either because they have no games lol so what will they say next? Oh people are losing intest in video games lol

[yomfweeee]

PS4 was cheaper than last gen and it will have a longer lifespan. So, what in the world are you talking about?

[letsa_go]

Wow congrats, you described every console ever!

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Not going to happen, and if it did, I'd just go all in on PC, gotta get the Sony/Nintendo consoles for the exclusives.

[Omnislashver36]

https://youtu.be/H47ow4_Cmk...

[TheUndertaker85]

@chrisx: Is that why the Nintendo Switch version of Resident Evil 7 is completely cloud based?

Is that also why Sony is pushing services like PlayStation Now, PlayStation Vue, and other streaming alternatives? Also why video content on PS4 is all streamed rather than downloaded?

But yeah, definitely not Ninty and Sony. /s

PS4 depends on streamed content more than any other console period. Streaming services that offer zero alternative to store the content and which in many cases must be purchased again regardless of purchase status via PSN.

You buy a title via PSN and if you want to play it on PS4 that requires a new purchase. Ironically when Sony attempted championing “Cross Buy” starting with PS3. Then that content is streamed to your console via PS Now with no download option.

[chiefJohn117]

The funny thing about the replies is that Sony's the one with the streaming service already, not Ms lol. #StayBlind😎

[morganfell]

Isn't this gamer doomsday due to hit the day after phones kill off consoles?

[UltraNova]

Gangsta,

Consoles are dead cause MS/Ubi says so? On what console market share, public perception authority is this statement based up on? Does Xbox/MS (with their GaaS/online plans)have a single shread of influence on the console market right now or in the foreseeable future, to even warrant a serious discussion on how they, of all people in this business, will dictate the future of console gaming? I mean really?

As of right now and at least next gen, nothing MS does can or will steer the console market if Sony and Nintendo doesnt say so.

[ILostMyMind]

You must love PS Now, right?

[Tapani]

Actually, it is the opposite. The speed of technological advancements in both CPUs and GPUs has slowed down significantly since 2012 or so. This would enable hardware manufactures to enter longer cycles, just as with PS3 and PS4. They can also release Pro and X type of incremental updates which use the same ecosystem to earn higher profits and cut costs.

That being said, I do believe that streaming, VR/AR and GaaS will become finally relevant with 5G. However, the internet infrastructure is still not there for hundreds of millions of gamers to play at the same time on smart devices, consoles, PCs and directly from TVs. PS5 Pro might really be one of the last traditional consoles to hit the markets from Sony. We are already in the future, although it is just getting started.

[UCForce]

@chiefjohn117 True, but that never Sony primary focus. So yeah, you are the one who blinded here. Microsoft focus way too much on Gaas.

[I_am_Batman]

Even if we get to lossless instant serverside processing and an infrastructure where the vast majority of the worlds gaming population has the required bandwidth to use such a service there will still be an increase in latency compared to local processing. The visible lag will be twice as bad because with local processing the console/PC renders the frame as fast as possible and then compares it to the server side calculations and corrects for it if needed. And that's the absolute best case scenario. So at the very least you'll always have a ping with single player games like you now have with multipayer games. You simply can't transmit a signal faster than the speed of light.

Not to mention that a service like this will either be either a subscription model or a cost/playtime model both of which aren't a great option for a lot of gamers. The always online requirement doesn't help.

I have no doubt that we'll see more of these types of services in the future and they might even overtake the majority of gaming at some point but I doubt that they'll replace traditional gaming consoles/PCs anytime soon if ever.

[fiveby9]

I am skeptical as well of the whole industry moving to game streaming. But I do wonder where 5G wireless lead us. Supposedly 5G is very low latency as it'll be important for the adoption of autonomous vehicles. Perhaps that would enable game streaming better than is available today? I have also tried game streaming on my fiber connection at home. It works very well. Certain types of games are more susceptible to the unpredictable latency though. But the vision they describe is at least 10 years off if not more.

[mechlord]

@gangasta_red

Im sorry but youre an idiot if you cant see why MS is riding this wave and if you believe infrastructure is anywhere close to support this.

[badz149]

why is Ubisoft making up their minds regarding next gen based on the platform that is selling the least unit this gen?

[Antifan]

Honestly, I'll quit gaming or game on pc if that happens. I want to own every game I buy. I don't want to 'rent' games through a streaming service, and I think most gamers feel this way.
It has absolutely no benefits for the consumer, and MS& Ubi gets all the benefits.
MS tried this shit from the start, with their digital only future to control what we play and how we play them, but when that failed, they're pushing a new scam.

[gangsta_red]

@UltraNova

Where exactly did I even say that MS influences the market and steers the direction of where it goes?

My whole point and what a lot of you seem to be missing is that ALL companies are steering this way. ALL companies have similar to exactly the same goals.

Look at the similarities in both Xbox and PlayStation console. The services they provide even Nintendo is now offering a paid online service with similar services to Sony and MS.

You truly believe that if Sony, MS or Nintendo can offer a service without a dedicated hardware box or something similar along the lines of say Chromestick or Apple TV they won't do this?

It has nothing to do with how much hardware is being sold NOW, it's about preparing for a future. And all media companies are preparing for this future now.

I keep reading that the world isn't ready for streaming games but if that were the case why would Sony and MS sink money and time building this if they didn't think this was valuable?

These guys didn't get to where they are now building these types of services on a whim, they look at trends, analytics and definite knowledge of what is ahead down the road 15 + years from now.

@mechlord

I can't see MS riding the wave? Lmao

I literally commented that MS is doing this.

[Cobra951]

"Honestly, I'll quit gaming or game on pc if that happens. I want to own every game I buy. I don't want to 'rent' games through a streaming service, and I think most gamers feel this way.
It has absolutely no benefits for the consumer, and MS& Ubi gets all the benefits.
MS tried this shit from the start, with their digital only future to control what we play and how we play them, but when that failed, they're pushing a new scam."

That is just about a perfect statement, Antifan. I can't improve on it. I'll just add that if MS do try to take the Windows environment into "the cloud", most of us who care about gaming and ownership will simply hang back with what we're already using. Windows 7 is still popular, and there's a good reason for that.

Edit: gangsta_red, all companies have multiple coals in the fire, diverse future-facing investments. What succeeds remains; everything else is either a loss, or gets leveraged into something else. And what succeeds is more up to us than to them. Remember what Xbox One was going to be, and what it actually became. We decided the initial version was not acceptable, and away it went.

[frostypants]

@gangsta_red: "Look how far we have come with streaming and other similar services. "

Look how far we haven't. All the current services prove is that while streaming is OK, there are latency issues that are not surmountable in the near term, and even if they were surmountable, we'd be entirely reliant on the ISPs to solve them, not hardware/software developers. Microsoft is going to dive into a niche that's the size of a puddle.

[rainslacker]

We haven't come that far with streaming services in gaming. It's still not widely accepted as a viable form by most people, and it isn't practical in an application level to a large amount of the market. While it'll get better over time, it's still a ways off for next gen to be the last

[pinkcrocodile75]

@chrisx MS may lead the charge possibly but you're an idiot of you don't think that Sony and Ninty will not go down this route. This is where we are heading technology wise, so you better catch up and get with the program dude, because whether you like it or not, this is going to happen sooner or later.

If the next gen is in lets say 3 years and adding another 4 - 6 years for the next generation, then we are looking at 7 - 9 years from now.

So, lets call it 10 for a nice round figure. Do you honestly think that in 10 years we won't have the technology or infrastructure for this?

Think about it?

[uth11]

people have been saying this. But I don't see a huge demand for services such as PS Now.

if anything, people avoid these things because of cost or latency.

ane latency is a problem that can't be solved. it may be small, but it will still be enough for many gamers to notice

[indysurfn]

Heck they said this back in PS2 days! In order for other devices to take over they have to be able to do NEXT generation level graphics on the side! I don't know anything that will be able to do next generation on the side except for a even more expensive PC.

UBI soft keesp getting negative points. Keep it up and they will be in EA or Microsoft territory with console gamers.

[3-4-5]

Internet and all digital isn't reliable and when it fails, you can't do anything about it.

If My internet goes out, I can still play a ton of my single player, physical copy games

[Artemidorus]

If that's the case then technology might as well shut down.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Maybe for Microsoft but Sony will definitely continue to support consoles. I also see Nintendo supporting hardware as they are not very adept with their online infrastructure. Whether Nintendo goes strictly handheld or not they will continue to support hardware.

Obviously Microsoft is looking to transition because of Windows. They are also badly losing the console war this gen and i imagine the R&D for the XB1 X wasn't pretty. People expected the X to launch some sort of comeback, but it just hasn't at all. I'm sure hardware development costs and slumping sales have expedited Microsoft's move to an entirely service based company.

Microsoft has Windows, but Nintendo and Sony don't have anything similar. It just wouldn't make sense for those two to rapidly transition out of the console business. Especially since they are both running the game right now and making piles of money.

[Gh05t]

@MakoD

You must not purchase MS OSs for businesses if you think they don't make money off their OSs anymore.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I could see Microsoft leaving the hardware space (not anytime soon), that way they wouldn't have to bother doing R&D on hardware and marketing a console. But for this to work, Windows Store would really have to take off or they would need most people to migrate to Live on Windows. I think that's a pretty big ask of consumers at the moment.

[zerocarnage]

nintendo have recently introduced there online service abit ago so to me it suggests as though nintendo themselves are also looking to move forward. There online infrastructure maybe basic at the moment compared to Sony and Microsoft but watch out that will grow eventually into something alot bigger, its a space to watch as that service they have evolves over the next decade to get accustomed to all that will be available and new in a decade or so from now.

And it's not transitioning out of the console business as you think it is. Devices would still be being made just that they will require less parts and the amount of devices available will be more widely made. It scertainly sounds like it will be down to choice and preference rather than oh that console is more powerful, its oh thats more about design and oh this device is pure see through glass while that one is made of carbon.

[Gh05t]

@MakoD

Your time table is way off. The Windows 365 and virtualization although good is still in its infancy and far from being accepted or adopted in a large scale environment (Most companies are still on Windows 7 and the ones who have moved to 10 are not looking to make another move). Most large companies are not going to just rip all their on prem servers out of the racks and trust MS to manage their SQL servers full of private company information. Not to mention bandwidth of businesses that make database calls all day long internally would be astronomical. Even storing the data in Azure or AWS was going to cost my company thousands more than just buying the server and storing it at an offsite facility. The cloud is great but its nowhere near medium to large scale enterprise prime time, especially not 3 years out. Companies that already have VDI are still hosting that with on prem equipment and I dont really ever see that changing unless something revolutionary happens.

Basically companies will use SaaS (like Exchange online) way before they will trust another company to do IaaS (like hosting VDI off prem). Especially since most large companies develop their own internal software having that hosted and working in remote dev environments is not ideal.

[Atanasrikard]

Actually, only fanboys expected the X to launch a comeback. Even Microsoft didn't expect the X to outsell the S.

[Rippcity]

@Gh05t

I'm sorry but I completely disagree with you here. Being part of a mid sized company (around 15k or so people), we just started the process to move all of our data into the cloud and by no means are we an industry leader. Since the company is heavily reliant on technology, it's the only way for us to stay financially competitive. We spend so much money maintaining our on prem servers that we'll save billions moving our data into the cloud. Not to mention all the other benefits like scaling and availability.
Now I'm not saying this entirely applies to gaming yet but I definitely think that game streaming services are going to be much more relevant in the near future. The monetary savings alone are going to push that technology forward. I know most people think PS Now and Vue are not great but as the technology moves forward, these services are going to become increasingly better and more relevant.

[rainslacker]

Windows isn't a small piece of the pie. It's just hard for businesses, and even most consumers, to justify having to continue paying for updates. This is becoming even more true, when the vast majority of pcs and even Windows, are more than capable of running software for much longer than we saw about 20 years ago.

Forcing, or having Windows on the cloud changes things for me, because now they can make it into a subscription model, and with the transition they can push the Windows store market when they make Windows a more closed system than before. They want that because Apple and Google are making tons of money off it, and not doing anywhere close to what ms does on the backend in terms of support.

That future will come in some way over the next 20 years though. Ms would be completely idiotic to just make it happen in the next ten, and not do it in baby steps to get people accustomed to stuff until the people.realize they actually have something they don't like that much.

Same goes with consoles. Pubs and console makers may want all this control, but if they force it to much and too fast, people will push back. See the start of this gen for reference.

But if you look at how things are going this gen, or even last, you see smaller more consumer palatable "features" or services which require these same things, and that's how you get stuff like that done.

Steam for instance wasn't instantly loved on pc. But they made a consumer friendly service which people liked, and now pc is mostly all digital. But pc is a market where resale was never a big thing. If resale wasn't a big thing on consoles, you would probably see more digital buyers

[pinkcrocodile75]

@rippcity I agree with you 100%.

[PUBG]

@durden

The only console manufacturer with a streaming service is Sony, so what the hell are you talking about when you you say that only Microsoft will focus on streaming? Use some common sense!

[agent4532]

Sony can fix PS Now which is available on Windows. Yes, I am fully aware PS Now is expensive, laggy, has lots of bugs, and a small library. It can fix all of that and make it better and cheaper. We could also see tv apps of Sony and Nintendo. Look what comes out of the box of smart tvs:

USB ports
HDMI ports
Built-in CPU
Blu-tooth
Built-in Wi-Fi/DSL

Free access to multimedia apps like Netflix

Voice commands
VR ready

Really, a PSN app or Nintendo app is the right way to go. ...

[gangsta_red]

For all consoles, Sony and Nintendo and you would be wrong to just think MS is the only one that may do it.

We have already read Kodera talk about a shift in focus when consoles become less profitable in the later years, he has also stated they will start to investigate GaaS, Sony are still going all in with PSNow. Sony has basically followed the trends with other media/entertainment companies. I can see them as well as MS start to offer an alternative to dedicated hardware that won't be costly and have to be upgraded or need revisions (slims).

Nintendo has already moved away from consoles in the traditional sense and have found success with a mobile hybrid device and some of the games releasing for it seem to be available digital only, plus we are seeing Capcom test RE7 for Switch cloud available only.

I can see Nintendo being the first to not have a console the way we know it, especially when they follow their own path.

It's definitely coming and we can see the foundation today being laid down for the future.

[deadfrag]

BS we still dont have internet infrastructures worldwide that allows people to play streaming games with an acceptable input lag today and we will not reach that in the next 15-20 years and lets not start taking about internet caps from providers...If Nintendo,SONY or Microsoft go this way they will lose many gamers and lots of money.Consoles will be among us for the next 50 years minimum.

[gangsta_red]

@deadfrog
"BS we still dont have internet infrastructures worldwide"

We do in the places that these consoles sell the most and do the most business in. Look how far we have come in just these last few years. I believe in another 10-15 (after the release of next gen consoles) this infrastructure will be feasible.

[ShottyatLaw]

The Capcom point is the interesting one. Also look at EA's cloud investment. What happens when 3rd parties can deliver their titles without worrying about royalties to console manufacturers?

MS and Sony and even Nintendo know this is coming. The question then becomes - who survives and how do you do it?

[IamTylerDurden1]

Sony follows trends? Not so much in gaming. They announced PS Now well before the other gaming services. Heck, they started PS+ and one could argue that was the beginning. They are still the only console manufacturer to support VR. DVD, Blu ray, PS4 Pro. They did it first. They even pushed stereoscopic 3D when Microsoft and Nintendo ignored it. Sony's Dr Richard Marks actually discovered the tech behind Kinect well before Microsoft.

Sony said they will continue with traditional console cycles. They will not abandon hardware any time soon. PS5 will still be disc based yet you think the generation after will just eliminate consoles all together? C'mon. Microsoft is pushing this narrative, but Sony is a very different company with a pedigree in hardware manufacturing. It makes sense for MS, not Sony.

[gangsta_red]

@tyler

You're not really disproving any of the points this article or I made.

If anything you're only proving that perhaps Sony is spear heading this movement away from consoles.

[kneon]

@ShottyatLaw

EA can build all the cloud services they want, but you still need some device on the other end to connect to that service. So you're going to connect with a PC or a console. I can't see the TV manufacturers getting on board to build that in unless their net costs were near zero. Maybe Sony would do it to allow access to PS Now, but if each publisher goes their own way then they are DOA in the TV market.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

@Deadfrag,

You should see the disaster that is the Australian NBN, this crap really cant do well here since we can't build a decent telecom infrastructure. We should have gone with Labor's Fibre Optic plan and just spread the network out over time with the money the network makes back after it pays for itself.

I present the evidence:
https://www.google.com/sear...

What a wasted opportunity.

[UCForce]

But do you really think the Gaas is the perfect future ? You are literally blinded with the word called “perfection”.

[ShottyatLaw]

@kneon

Like the hundreds of streaming apps already available on TVs?

[kneon]

@ShottyatLaw

Streaming apps are much simpler than game streaming. There is no latency issue with watching a movie and no need for external controllers. In additional to building TVs with more processing power, the manufacturers would also either have to design their own game controllers for their TV, or add in support for third party controllers. Either option means added ongoing costs in terms of support and maintenance. That just may not be worth it given that only a minority of consumers will care.

[ShottyatLaw]

@ Kneon

Oh, my mistake. It seemed to work fine for Sony until, you know, business reasons caused them to pull it off of TVs. You might want to tell EA this before that Gamefly check clears.

“Cloud gaming is an exciting frontier that will help us to give even more players the ability to experience games on any device from anywhere,” said Ken Moss, Chief Technology Officer of Electronic Arts"

[alb1899]

gangsta_red, if they say that next gen will be the last, then they are talking about 10 or 8 years from now, so stop talking about what we have now to predict the future.

[gangsta_red]

@alb1899

Thanks for pointing that out. Might want to re-read my comments again though. Slowly and more carefully.

[agent4532]

Thank you, most gamers are stuck in the past. They completely ignore PS Now, NVIDIA portable device, the capabilities of smart tvs, etc. Glad to see I am not the only one that sees what is going on

[DarkVoyager]

“Ubisoft Believes Next Gen is the Last for Consoles as Microsoft Looks Beyond Platforms“

Good for Microsoft. I’m sure Sony will continue to support consoles. They winning the race for a reason.

Microsoft’s just looking for a way out since Xbox is becoming irrelevant in the console market.

[S2Killinit]

I wouldnt be suprised if MS was the end of consoles. They have no loyalty to the console habitat, they wont even commit to making games, they resort to buying exclusivity more often than not. Their every step has been to move away from consoles. Its no suprise to me. Ive been saying it for ages.

[NatFanBoyRestricted]

Playstation Now, doesn't make any sense

[UCForce]

But it’s never their primary focus.

[Aceman18]

What about if net neutrality is fully repealed, and ISP can start charging crazy amounts of $$$ for use of their service will you be happy then with full streaming service then?

I know I'm not so I'm happy sticking to playing my games on consoles. Unless it can be guaranteed that we won't get rimmed price wise I don't see all us being full streaming for quite some time.

[LSSj3Yagami]

Xbox maybe, Nintendo is bouncing back but in a drought, if they screw up again next time it could be their last. Sony? No way. They're even considering the portable market again so it's an asinine thought that they'll stop any time soon.

[nucky64]

heard this during ps2........heard this during ps3........now hearing this during ps4 and will probably hear it during the ps5 era. after ps5, well see where things stand, but there's going to be gaming on consoles for years to come and i don't see it ending any time soon.

[rainslacker]

Been hearing stuff like this since the ps1 gen

Also it's laughable that they'd say this because ms is looking beyond consoles. The company that sells the least amount of consoles is hardly the arbiter of the future trends in the market. Ms has failed in more places in the hardware market than any other gaming company. Not just in gaming, but as a whole company. The best thing they did for gaming was on pc with DirectX, but even with that they held back the market for years in an effort to push Windows.

So no, consoles will go away when Nintendo and Sony decide to stop making them. If ms leaves, it'll be a hiccup to the console market, and it'll be filled by someone else.

[killswitch80]

Streaming services is where the market is going. Its a really good thing . We will be playing on systems that will have insane hardware. This is really going to push the boundaries of what games can look like. Cable companies are going to be forced to finally upgrade their ancient infrastructure. They need to create better tunneling as well. We are looking at a decade from now as well . Streaming services will be far better than what we have now.

[Muzikguy]

If this ends up being true I’m done. I’d be just fine sticking with he old games and classics.

It really boggles my mind how things are going service based all over the place. You’d think people would actually want to have things

[agent4532]

It makes sense

[Nyxus]

This again...

[Shiken]

Well of it does happen, I guess we will be greatful that at least Nintendo seems to be a gen or two behind when it comes this kind of stuff lol.

But seriously, the only one I can see trying this is MS. Sony could pull it off, but I think they would try to capitalize on anyone else stupid enough to try it by giving gamers what they want, just like the always online DRM the X1 originally had. It would just solidify their success for another gen before it began.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I can't see Sony doing this or Nintendo, they want those megabucks from hardware and software sales, and gaming is a very profitable business for those two. I can't see them abandoning it.

[agent4532]

PlayStation Now says hi.

PSN store also says hi

Why did Sony brought PS Now to PC?

[PapaBop]

It's probably inevitable really but we're talking a good 15-20 years into the future, it's certainly not around the corner like MS would like us to believe. The technology just isn't there yet but it's a noble pursuit when they can guarantee an experience that is identical to how things currently are and isn't bogged down by anti-consumer practices which is what I fear the most.

[-Foxtrot]

Microsoft most likely will...I can feel it. Maybe not next gen but they'll slowly be transitioning during that period to prepare for the future.

They will NEVER full state it as they know saying it or confirm their future plans as they might be worried this make them look bad, people will overreact and reflect on the awful 2013 Xbox One reveal somehow or die hard fans will call them out for "leaving" the console industry. They won't, I can see them doing streaming boxes with an Xbox streaming app on it for cheap to allow them to say they are "still" in the console business but they'll be focused on streaming as much as they can and will most likely set out to get other publishers on board as they try to take down other streaming services from EA and the like.

Once they do that you'll never know you could see the app make their way to Nintendo and Sony consoles, maybe not brand new games straight away but letting people download older titles like the Halo trilogy or maybe games like Banjo-Kazooie. Like I said before people start to froth at the mouth I said "you'll never know", if they did do this with an Xbox App then the goal would be, like Netflix for TV shows and films is to get that app on as many products as possible for more revenue and with how many players will have moved onto those consoles all they'd think about is potential subscription buyers for their new app.

[gangsta_red]

If you notice though, both Sony and MS are similar to almost equel when it comes to consoles and console trends. Look at how similar both consoles in terms of design, UI layout and services both companies offer.

PSnow is already a service that could easily be on another console. Why people only think this is only the case for MS is strange.

Paid online, Vue(TV, TV, TV lol), mid gen consoles, streaming service, multiple apps and features, etc. Sony and MS have had the equivalent or similar offerings of each other and I don't know why people think that Sony won't continue to follow this for the future. Especially when the tech will be there for all these companies to use.

[Gazondaily]

Truth

[Nyxus]

And how big is PS Now in comparison to their consoles? It's just an extra option, not a replacement.

[firelogic]

The difference is Sony is going to sell 100+ million PS4s and Nintendo will sell at least 70 million Switch units (depending on when they release their next hardware) and it's highly unlikely that the PS5/Next Nintendo completely bombs to warrant an all streaming solution. Plus people are buying more games than ever on those two platforms. It's not like game sales are going down. Not to mention, without revenue from hardware sales and expensive game sales, their gaming division will be relying solely on subscriptions. Do you think that Sony can sustain Playstation based on PSNow? Even if they improve it and add every PS4/PS5/PSNext game to it. They're going to have to sell Netflix-like numbers of subs. $60/game (i know they don't take 100% of it) versus even charging an obscene $200/year for a sub. Not worth it without the crazy adoption that a Netflix has.

[Christopher]

Agree with everything but UI design.

[S2Killinit]

You guys will continue to support MS to the very end of consoles. To the point that you choose to defend them even at the cost of losing consoles as we know them.

Keep on pretending what they are doing is the same as their competition. Good job.

[chiefJohn117]

Preach! Deep down they know it but ofc fanboys. Gonna hype your love and hate the other guy even if it makes them hypocrites.

[TKCMuzzer]

Yes but the key difference is that Sony is continuing to support the present and near future whilst looking into the future.
Streaming of films and TV has been mainstream for a few years now but Blu rays and DVD's still sell, plus formats are created and people continue to buy them. The notion that everyone likes the same thing is just an assumption.
It's going to be a while before one over takes the other.

[Inzo]

"Sony and MS have had the equivalent or similar offerings of each other"

Except games. ;)

[Razzer]

Let's not pretend PSNow is wildly successful though. Sony and MS will follow this trend as far as consumers will take them. Ubisoft can talk big about streaming as the only option, but need we remind everyone what happens when you try and force crap like this down gamer's throats? Xbox One reveal comes to mind. If streaming happens, it will happen because more gamers opt for streaming games rather than buying or renting. When/if the streaming revenue trumps all else.....then let's see where this goes.

[Eonjay]

You are right to suggest that Sony is already ahead of the cure ball with this. I mean they already offer streaming PS4 games. The distinction is what Phil means here by available on all systems It could simply meant that Microsoft goes third party. However we know that Live is a huge money maker. What if their plan is to move gamepass to all devices? So basically, what if they could develop for all systems and leverage this service across all devices? While I don't see this happening on PlayStation for the foreseeable future, It could be the end game.

[gangsta_red]

@firelogic
"...unlikely that the PS5/Next Nintendo completely bombs to warrant an all streaming solution."

Has nothing to do with consoles bombing that companies would find alternatives. Consoles cost money and these companies are looking to maximize their profit. If they can sell a box where a user can just log in to their service and access games on the cloud or stream them, then these companies won't need to worry about multiple iterations of a dedicated console every 5 or 6 years, the latest tech or anything else that comes along and devalues over time, there comes a point where

@Inzo
Zing!

@Razzer
"Let's not pretend PSNow is wildly successful though."

We're not talking about success now, we're talking about the building blocks for the future.

"..but need we remind everyone what happens when you try and force crap like this down gamer's throats?"

And what happens when this becomes the only option to play GoW, Uncharted, Halo or Mario? You think gamers will just stop playing games? The collective have already made paying for online mandatory, DLC, microtransactions have all become normal. If the three decides that this is the way they want to deliver games I don't think we will have much say, we'll complain like we normally do but eventually fall in line.

@Eonjay
"It could simply meant that Microsoft goes third party."

Or it could mean Microsoft has all their games available on all their own Win 10 and Win 10 branded devices.

No doubt this is what MS wants to achieve, keeping the user connected to them no matter where they go. This is something Sony and Nintendo are working towards which is why you have one account that has all your information, games and saves on them.

[Razzer]

"We're not talking about success now, we're talking about the building blocks for the future."

Yes. Building blocks that consumers have made clear they are not interested in. Even with the vast rich library of PS3 games available on PS4 and PC via PSNow, it seems most would rather play the games on PS3 console. This isn't insignificant.

"And what happens when this becomes the only option to play GoW, Uncharted, Halo or Mario? You think gamers will just stop playing games? The collective have already made paying for online mandatory, DLC, microtransactions have all become normal. If the three decides that this is the way they want to deliver games I don't think we will have much say, we'll complain like we normally do but eventually fall in line."

We are talking about the same corporations that haven't been able to nix physical media. But now they are going to kill all locally installed games entirely without breaking a sweat? Uh.....I doubt that. But's let say they did force streaming. First, that would require Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to agree to force gamers into streaming with unified action. Otherwise, what is to stop any of them from taking advantage of the others and saying "buy from us, we won't make you stream games!" Sony already played that card with used games this gen. If they did collude to force streaming on gamers then they would get slapped with so many lawsuits their lawyers wouldn't see sunshine for years. Government lawyers would characterize it as tantamount to price-fixing. DLC and microtransactions are completely optional, as is online. Why compare optional items to theoretical mandatory services? And let's remember that console gaming isn't the only option. If console makers were able to force streaming down everyone's throats then I expect to see a mass exodus to PC gaming where there are no walled gardens. Regardless, I certainly do not think these corporations will be stupid enough to try and just flip a switch from local gaming to cloud streaming in an instant. If anything the option to play local games would have to coexist with streaming. They can throw incentives at streaming and market the hell out of it, but ultimately nothing is going to force consumers to buy.

[agent4532]

Agreed

[Christopher]

***Because MS's whole company is transitioning to be a cloud enterprise company, its already pretty much done. ***

Sony: Provides PS Now and very few ports that you pay for.

Microsoft: Offers BC that you download and play directly and currently has no cloud gaming.

Look, Microsoft could go that way, but let's be honest about who is there already and how that hasn't impeded on current gaming media that is physical/digital but not in the cloud. As long as player's insist on being able to buy and control the quality of their gaming, whether it's PC gaming or higher-end mid-gen console upgrades, I think it's fairly safe to say that a good portion of gaming will never go to the cloud only or primarily.

[Liqu1d]

Phil Spencer already said they're working on cloud gaming that doesn't require a console.

[Christopher]

Liquid, how does that take away from my last paragraph at all?

[Wallstreet37]

This isnt some new, novel idea lol nor do we need to hear it out of ubisofts mouth about microsoft lol Sony with ps now, gakai, remote play, etc have been getting ready for this for awhile. Weve already had onlive in the past and they sold their patents to Sony :)

[Razzer]

Cuz by the end of the next generation everyone in the world will have great internet and bandwidth limits will be no more? Nah. Streaming may become more of an option but it will be an option alongside installed games on console or PC.

[Sirk7x]

Elon Musk is literally right now trying to launch over 4,000 satellites into space with latency of less than 25ms to give free internet to the world. I don't think most people realize how far technology is going to go in ten to fifteen years. All cars could be self driving right now if it wasn't for the fact that no one knows how to solve the problem of high unemployment that automation like that would cause. At some point or another, soon, how we live our lives is going to change very drastically.

[Liqu1d]

Widespread free internet isn't going to happen.

[Inzo]

Technology isnt moving as fast as people think and its not going to be where you think it is in 15 years time. I have 20 years in this field and I can tell you now that as far as technology is concerned we are at least 4 years behind where we could have been today and there is a simple reason for this and that is that there is too much money to be made. Its all about money.

[Razzer]

Ok. Sure. I don't expect I'll be cancelling my paid internet anytime soon though.

[steven83r]

Inzo,

No technology isn't behind. You may have 20 years in the field but i am guessing as an American. We here in the states are behind almost all developed countries when it comes to internet. So no. Tech isn't slow and behind, America is. First Religion held science back and now greed holds tech.

[Inzo]

@steve83r

I didnt say technology is behind, I said tech is behind where it could be i.e. tech is being held back purposely but I agree with you on one thing, greed is a major factor.

[Antifan]

One problem, satellite Internet doesn't work well with gaming, let along streaming a game.

[Cobra951]

To follow Antifan, satellite internet would have to change drastically to work well enough for gaming. At this point, free broadband anywhere is a pipe dream. I cheer for Elon. I wish him every success. We need more empowered benevolent dreamers. But reality bites, you know?

[StormSnooper]

Elon Musk makes a lot of claims he can’t back up. Also, nobody will give anyone anything for free.

[MrVux000]

Nikola Tesla also tried giving the world free-wireless electricity with Tesla-Towers... that sure did work out for him.

[firelogic]

The problem is infrastructure, especially in North America. Highspeed internet isn't ubiquitous, not to mention streaming means always on connections. With a lack of highspeed internet coupled with bandwidth caps, a streaming device isn't happening even in the next 10 years.

Also, why would companies like Sony and Nintendo drop hardware which pushes software in favor of a streaming solution? Sony and Nintendo are selling record numbers of their consoles. I highly doubt next gen takes a nosedive. Sell $400 pieces of hardaware which they both make a profit on, and then sell games at $60 a pop or base your entire gaming business on PSNow subscriptions? Forward thinking is great and all but when you're already making money hand over fist, there's no reason to change the model just yet. They can definitely start planning and preparing for the transition but no way it happens in the next decade.

[Gh05t]

Are you kidding? Do you not remember what a decade ago looked like? The Iphone was released just over a decade ago. Research showed that roughly 55% of households even had broadband internet and those with dial up 67% wanted to keep dial up. Now roughly 90% of all people have broadband, 50% of all people have a tablet and almost 80% of all people have a smart phone.

But for some reason in the next decade as we get closer and closer to unearthing true AI and hitting singularity you think we won't have speed enough to play games... You should look at some of the research being done. Im assuming we will all be dead or videogames in general will be an old fashioned past time.

Who's ready to jack into the matrix?

[Goldby]

I wouldn't count on it.

Here in Toronto, we are only now starting to get Fiber. The infrastructure isn't in place yet to make streaming the norm. This is one reason I think that the cloud hasn't exactly panned out the way MS was expecting.

[Razzer]

"Now roughly 90% of all people have broadband"

In Europe and the US maybe, but gaming is a global enterprise and Asia is a booming gaming market where internet isn't nearly as prevalent. Even in 10 years a 100% streaming solution is going to leave a lot of gaming customers behind.

[Geoff900]

Most countries offer a set speed, with no data caps. I can get 100Mpbs+ BB with 10Mpbs upload for around £20 ($26 US) a month, that is in a small town by the way.

The speeds that are on offer, have to be what they providers can offer you, otherwise you can cancel your subscription/get compensation.

The U.S is very far behind everyone else, in terms of BB.

[FGHFGHFGH]

the problem is most of our broadband in the USA uses copper wire. Google and Verizon were laying fiber, but I know verizon got blocked from doing it by where I live

[agent4532]

One no more manufacturing costs, transportationcosts, no more hardware labor costs.

Two able to expand their audience without increasing costs.

Three no more hardware limitations

All Sony needs is to fix. pS Now

[2pacalypsenow]

For Microsoft*

[DVAcme]

Ubisoft are full of shit. They probably already have PS5 development kits, and Nintendo is barely getting started with the Switch. Maybe it could be MICROSOFT'S last year in the console market, but the other guys will be fine.

[agent4532]

Let's pretend PS Now doesn't exist.

[bolimekurac]

this is talking about after next gen, we are talking 10 years from now, 5g and air wifi is coming for all then, why dont we wait and worry about this 8 years from now, the way tech changes we might be shocked at what can be done

[Cobra951]

It isn't just about what can be done. It's more about what we want done. I think that's where many disagrees come from. Most of us know technology may be able to cover this ugly scenario within a decade. And most of us don't want our games taken out of our hands and into the ether. So there's what can happen, and what we allow to happen.

Once again, I'll reference Xbox One, 2013. We decided Microsoft's vision wasn't for us, and they had no choice but to backpedal. I'm not naive. I know Sony's PS4 provided us with the alternative, the needed leverage. Competition is the key. Microsoft would have to own everything or collude with the other big players to force their ethereal plans on us.

[AnubisG]

You just know it that whoever wrote this lives in a big city with good internet and probably never left that city...or if they did they probably just flew straight to another huge city with good internet.

Most of the world does not have fast enough internet for this to work. Nor will they have in 10 years or 20 years. In big cities? Maybe but even in NYC when I played a game on PSnow it sucked. Latency was very noticable.

And how about people who have montly caps? So that means they can't play as much as they like now? I don't think so.

These are the same idiots who will tell you that streaming a 4K video is the same as habing it on a 4K blu-ray disc. They just talk out of their ass because they live in a tiny hole in Manhattan paying $5000/month and don't have space for anything and for them, streaming is great because no place for discs next to their starbucks coffeecup collection, ipad, ipod, iphone, apple watch, ipad mini, ipasswipe and louie voutton bags.

I believe UbiSoft is wrong.

[Akarogg]

HAHA so true

[agent4532]

Outside the US we are behind in upload/download plus speed compared to:

European Union
Japan
South Korea
China 😨

Those are the places where the most videogame consoles are sold outside the US.

[AuraAbjure]

That's fine. Just toss in cpus that operate at speeds no slower than 2.2 GHz so the entire generation isn't dead on arrival.

[HeisenbergX]

Who cares what Microsoft thinks LMAO

[xRacer74x]

If they can make the streaming experience equal to home based data sure. But so far that has not been the case.

[Gaming_Guru]

I can see Microsoft having a steam-like service but they created two ecosystems. Contrary to Steam and the Steam box all from the same ecosystem so if one flopped the platform is still making money.

[MrSec84]

So how will this work then?
I doubt all publishers will want to pool their games onto a single service and share a tiny portion of revenue from a subscription plan.
They can't expect people to pay the prices they do now for some "perceived ownership", which could easily go away if you decide to close your company for financial reasons or if the customer does something you don't like.

Streaming will be more available for sure, but it'll be an option, not the only way for people to play games.

This will be dictated by the customer and their wallet, not publishers forcing people to use their services.

No doubt each of the big publishers will want their own service and they'll expect you to pay them a fee each month, you'll have to pay for one for each publisher who's content you want to access and if your broadband goes down you won't be able to access that content unless they offer the ability to download and run on your local device(s).

This sounds terrible to me, consoles and gaming PCs aren't going anywhere.
Even 1st world internet speeds, latency and reliability sucks for this, it will not replace having dedicated devices, it will be a more available option, it's that simple.

[Harkins1721]

Keep dreaming.

[Sirk7x]

You guys might not like it, but it's inevitable. The end of next generation is ten years from now. Consumer technology will be light years ahead of what it is now. In ten years your phone will make an Xbox One X look like a PS1. Big companies are going to push for these services as well, as it gives them more control over how you use their products and basically removes the second hand industry completely. The future of technology is that everything you own will be connected 24/7, AI will be incorporated. People probably won't even hardly create content anymore when it can be generated with chosen parameters by neural networks. There's a reason why every leading tech company in the world is investing billions into AI development. Twenty years from now? Have fun even imagining it. If Sony or Microsoft don't do it, Amazon or Google will step in and get it done first.

[Akarogg]

Lol no

[Sirk7x]

Where do you think technology will be in fifteen years then? I'm not saying that I like it, I'm just saying that the future is inevitable. The more advanced tech becomes, the faster more advances come. Unless you're old now, the things we'll see in our lives will be crazy. And don't think for one second that billion dollar companies won't do all they can to control every single aspect of your life, whether you realize it or not.

[one2thr]

Yeah, no. Just, no.

There will be another Nintendo and Sony console.

MS, not sure if they will.

[Akarogg]

You're so self important and stuck up, btw, suck up those downvotes

[Good-Smurf]

Ubisoft name was on the MS Build keynote last month so go figure.
They not going to talk down on their new "relationship"

[Smokingunz]

Haha last generation for them Mabye lol with sales of the switch and the ps4 at 70+ plus million I think not. Consoles will last as long the consumer (us) wants it to.

[USMC_POLICE]

I think people will always wanted dedicated separate gaming boxes, I know I will.

[DialgaMarine]

Pretty sure we heard the same thing last gen. Sony has proven that traditional home consoles can still sell extremely well and make a lot of money. Mobile gaming hasn’t hurt the console market like people were predicting, and traditional AAA titles, SP or MP, are very much kicking. I see no reason why if PS5 continues the success that there won’t eventually be a PS6.

[Kokyu]

Yeah and consoles where dead before this gen too.

[Saijahn]

Consoles will always exist. I can see a future of a unified console though.

[EverydayGuy]

Depends on Sony and Nintendo.

[King_Lothric]

Next Gen will be the last of consoles for Xbox.

Fixed. Sony and Nintendo are doing very well.

Microsoft can try again like they did with the Xbox one. They will fail miserably once again.

[PiNkFaIrYbOi]

Don't buy it, if these companies think that people are going to have the money to get each of these subscriptions to play their games, they are crazy. Another point is the infrastructure for any sort of streaming isn't their right now and it won't be any time soon. Not to mention ISPs tend to have data caps and so that would also but a big hit against this happening. Having dedicated machines for gaming is the best way to go really, it is the simplest method to get to the most amount of consumers and it won't go away any time soon.

For those that say that the infrastructure is there, it isn't not even in the US, try getting good affordable internet service in the boonies or up in the mountains, it ain't happening and what you get is usually very bad and not really all that great for doing much streaming or such online or even playing multiplayer games.

[TheVigilanteCode]

Why do I get the feeling that this article's from 1993...

[Jayszen]

The fact is that both Sony and Nintendo are both the major platforms for gaming. Both have been at it for a long time, far longer than Microsoft, and both are successful. Both have existing IPs that have been incredibly successful and both are capable of coming out with new IPs that capture the imagination of gamers. Sony especially is a hardware company that manufactures televisions, audio systems, mobile phones, tablets and much more as well as, of course, the Playstation consoles which are supported by a number of incredibly successful game studios, also owned by Sony. In other words, the company makes its own platform as well as devices that are as the writer puts it "platform-agnostic" as well as the ability to make software that can either be played on proprietory hardware or generic is so desired. Any developments in gaming cannot afford to ignore either Sony or Nintendo and how each will approach the future of gaming. Microsoft in gaming is certainly not as important as either of the above two.

[masterfox]

oh look a developer who like to tell lies about how their games look and is saying something about a company that doesn't have a damn clue about how the console gaming industry works, should we even bother putting attention to them?..exactly absolutely not ;)

[Auron]

Probably will be the last because 5g will cook us all

[Rhythmattic]

Im thinking a publisher, game developer, sure... It'll allow more sales of a product due to its multiplatform nature....
But cmon, why wouldn't sony still have both delivery methods?
EXCLUSIVES is why this will never happen... If a games catalog is good enough to sell a console, why wouldn't other publishers not want to release on the so called platform? Its more money for them, as that is why they want, and its also licensing dollars for the console manufacturer.
One things for sure, Gaas is a bad silent fart in a elevator. It'll creep up on you and in the end leave a bad taste in your mouth.

[plmkoh]

Why do companies keep making dumb statements like this? Wasn't this generation a loud and clear enough message that people don't want that crap?

[The_Sage]

Ridiculous.

[PowerOfTheCloud]

As if ms has a leading role in the console space lol. They are more like headless chicken running around trying to figure out how to become relevant again on that specific market.

[zerocarnage]

@chrisx

sorry mate but I don't agree with you.

If microsoft and Nintendo let's say went down the route of releasing pure streaming on cheaper devices because it's easier and cheaper for developer and customer of said devices, Sony would have no choice but to follow suit. If Sony didn't follow suit and carried on releasing hardware and software it could potentially be disasterous for Sony. the industry is ever changing and getting faster at doing so and there has been a long desire for many years now to cut out the middle man ie games shops and especially second hand shops from profiting on what devs can not.

so much is changing and before we know it gaming will be totally different in ten years time I say, from how we play games to how we connect to them and discs will be a thing of the past just like cartridges fell off the shelves in favour of discs.

The future of gaming is simple, streaming on monitors/devices that are specially designed to handle the bits needed to handle while the servers on let's say the cloud deal with the main work load.

We have already seen how small consoles are starting to get and with just as much oomph under the hood as they did when they first started the generation off.

I myself will be happy when all this comes to pass and I've been happy since the 360 days knowing the direction Microsoft are working towards and many millions are too.

I actually think sooner or later even Sony will have to start moving into all that is said in the article. All of the three conse devs plans may be different and all do there own thing, but all of the console devs move slightly similar to one and other in how they are willing to move into the next episode of the gaming industry when the next big change comes along. This streaming lark is that next big thing coming in faster than what some mite even be aware of or hope that it doesnt happen, one thing for all is that we have no choice but to adapt along with it all as these changes are brought in...

[Razzer]

“If microsoft and Nintendo let's say went down the route of releasing pure streaming on cheaper devices because it's easier and cheaper for developer and customer of said devices, Sony would have no choice but to follow suit. ”

That assumes a lot. First, it assumes that consumers will automatically buy into the streaming and forego traditional consoles. Keep in mind that the majority of console games are still played on physical media despite the universal option for digital downloads. So until consumers are ready to write off physical media entirely, it doesn’t matter any company wants. Gaming is entirely consumer driven and its audience is actively engaged. If Sony were to include the option for traditional gaming methods while Microsoft pushed streaming only, I have a hard time seeing that backfiring on Sony.

Second, it assumes streaming is easier and cheaper. That is hardly a given. Broadband costs of delivering 4K gaming content is going to be high and ultimately the consumer will pay for it. And the world still isn’t ready for the speed required. You will have large sections of the world that will be limited to 720p on their 4K TVs just because their internet cannot handle it. Ever tried to watch Netflix in a hotel with crappy internet? It isn’t pretty. Same rule applies to gaming.

I think the world still has a long way to go before 100% gaming via streaming is a viable option and I think it will be more than 10 years before we get there. Gaming alone isn’t enough of a motivator to push infrastructure to where it needs to be.

[conanlifts]

Still not sure about this. I think for MS it is more likely that they will create an emulator that works through gamepass that can be installed on multiple devices included things like the PS5 or 6. Then from there games will scale like they do on the standard xbox and x to match the hardware. They might still produce their own console hardware as a way of classing it as the premium offering for their software. But in my view this is the more likely scenario for the next few console cycles.

[DiRtY]

I have been reading this since 2007.
Let's say next gen starts 2020, it will last 6 years... Who knows what is coming up in 2027 then.

I still think you will need powerful hardware, but streaming all game pass games could be just another option.

[ShockUltraslash]

Silicon is reaching it's limit actually.

[Cobra951]

True, but other technologies are bound to take over where it leaves off.

[LgbtWarrior]

Good. By next console gen streaming should be perfected.

[Stanjara]

My last console from Microsoft was 360 because of their idea of the future.

[bigmalky]

Shut up Ubisoft. This is exactly what you all want, but will not happen while Sony and Nintendo are around.

How many times have Microsoft and AAA publishers had a terrible idea and tried to push it as the future, then it has fell flat on it's arse?

It's like if they say these things enough, we'll believe it.

Absolute rubbish, and anyone who plays along is helping with the death of affordable, fair gaming.

[Sirk7x]

You could say the same for streaming services for movies and music as well(death of those mediums), but we still all do it. Music industry is doing terribly, DVD and box office sales have plummeted aside from superhero movies. Back when Netflix started streaming, I heard so many people say "That's stupid, why would I want to pay to not own a movie? Internet speeds aren't good enough everywhere for that company to catch on." Look where they are now, worth dozens of billions, and ingrained in culture. Whenever there are technological advances, new ideas come in and completely destroy existing industries. For instance, companies like Amazon and Walmart are going to put every retail outlet in the world out of business probably, including grocery stores. It's happened countless times through history, and those who don't adapt get left behind. I'm sure there are still people who miss Blockbuster.

[bigmalky]

Music and movies don't cost anywhere near the price of games.

Movies do not release with the first hour, then make you pay more for three separate 15 minute parts over a few months to complete your movie.

They also don't flash up ads throughout the film, telling you another viewer is getting a better version of the movie because they paid extra for perks that make their copy more enjoyable.

If you stream music, you get to play what you want there and then. You can listen to the full album if you wish, not have the album split into songs and sold individually at a premium rate. Or maybe stuff 12 random songs into boxes and sell them for special coins you have to pay for with real money. You might get some of the songs you like at a rare percentage chance, but you'll probably get Jim Reeves, Abba and Vanilla Ice when you should have got your favourites, that have a 0.06% chance of dropping when you open the box.

You sort of missed the point on the reasons why digital only, streaming games are likely going to be bad.

[Flewid638]

This is only a positive thing if the games you can access are actually good.

Having to access a good time the standard way still beats a streaming service full of garbage titles. lol.

[bluefox755]

Lol, MS is in last place. They're not deciding trends. They're looking beyond platforms because they've failed to compete with other platforms.

[_LarZen_]

This is true. But what happens when Xbox is on most devices? Buy a TV. You got an Xbox. Buy a AppleTV. You got an Xbox. Buy a non gaming laptop. You got an Xbox...etc etc.

[chiefJohn117]

Yes it's coming but I don't see consoles stopping either.

[_LarZen_]

Seeing everything that have happened since PS3/X360 came out. To when the PS4/XBO came out up to today. I have no problem seeing the consoles change into something else in ~8 years.

[Simmo3D]

I hope you all have AWESOME internet cause your F****ked if you dont.

[Dragonscale]

Ms believed that at the end of last gen. Look how that turned out lol.

[_LarZen_]

And look where we are today. Today their plan would have worked.

[Dragonscale]

Really and thats why switch and PS4 are still killing it. Its the narrative that consoles are dying that needs to die. If MS try the same strategy again next gen it will fail just as hard. Consoles are going nowhere lol.

[Tross]

Of course, because MS who's consistently trailing the competition = the entire industry. /s I can see MS exiting the console race after next gen, but they don't speak for Sony and Nintendo. It's good to know they paid off Ubisoft to endorse their point of view though.

[demonicale]

I agree with him, now with streaming becoming more popular it's going to happen eventually.

[quenomamen]

Hey MS wants to stop making consoles, go right ahead. Lot of the un informed people will say stuff like "all my games now are digital, I stream everything at home" whats the big deal ?"

Steady and constant access

[victorMaje]

Microsoft may eventually completely switch over to the Gaas model but if next Gen is anything like this one for Sony or Nintendo, it definitely will not be the last.

[Niv]

Yah right our Internet will stream 8K 60fps

[Liqu1d]

Here we go again. Game streaming won't be mainstream until good internet is more readily available.

[Knightofelemia]

Drop the console I am done with gaming and I'll just stick to the older shit

[thisismyaccount]

So... the ubisoft CEO is for some strange reason siding with Microsoft, when Ubi made 70% of their revenue thanks to PS4 owners this generation.

".. if Microsoft wants dis, we too want dis..." .

Remove Consoles and the video game industry shuts down.

[EricHonolulu]

That's what was said during the last generation about this generation.

[mogwaii]

No it won't.

[Godmars290]

As MS, who seem clueless and focused on the wrong things, sliding into last place, continue to make mistakes rather than games.

I would be at a loss as to why anyone considers them important, but then they are MS. Despite the mistakes they've repeatedly made.

[8bitswarrior]

Tell this to the people with low speed internet or with data limits per month(like me).
This won´t work at all, specially that the games are aiming for the next gen to be in 4k .
Things like no discs or to be connected all the time on the internet does not work.
If they do that, they will loose a big margin of their customers, obviously they won´t this to be happening.

[bellome]

Ubisoft Believes Next Gen is the Last for Microsoft Consoles. This makes more sense.

[PrinceVegeta]

I guess there will be more than one generations and then they might phase out. Even the game media hasn't been phased out yet, its too soon for the hardware to go extinct.

[CrimsonWing69]

It should be.

[Psychotica]

There are all kinds of movie streaming services out there and have been for years now. Yet you can still buy movies on DVD's and Blue Ray and buy the hardware for your living room to play them. A game streaming market that phases out gaming hardware may come eventually but I would bet it's a further away than they think.

[Sirk7x]

In the last two years, disc sales have dropped over 24 percent, while streaming services have raised over 30 percent in 2016 alone. Physical media won't be around too much longer, unless it's smaller companies producing it at higher prices for a niche market. Obviously, you can still buy things like vinyl even, but what's that market look like opposed to thirty years ago? It's either a novelty now, or for serious audiophiles.

[WickedLester]

Well Ubisoft can F-off!

[SuperbVillain]

Fake news

[PS3_Noob]

I am not willing to pay subscription fees for streaming games and they will have control. Fees will be keep increasing and we will not have any options. Streaming, always online is not good idea. You do not even own anything.

[Vizigoth04]

But then sorry, PlayStation already has a leg up in this thought process. All they need to do is continue to supply platforms that PS now is compatible with. Sure Sony stripped it from PS3 but it is available on relavent platforms like PS4, Pro and PC. I think Mac as well too but I could be wrong. Give internet a little more push in speed around the globe and I think you'll see the app embedded into smart TVs and Roku like boxes of PSTV-2. Sony is using PlayStation Now as their streaming device yet people down play them for not having the option to download. But if consoles aren't the future where do you download you game. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of a fresh new console being unboxed and hooked up to the entertainment center. But if streaming does become the future then all PlayStation has to do is enable new games to launch on PS Now. And then Sony make sure PS Now is available on platforms that is accessible to game on paired with a Dual Shock 4.

[GrimDragon]

if This ever does happen at least they will be available on PC. Not too big a deal really.

[Discobastrd]

Nope

[madpuppy]

Unless low latency broadband becomes ubiquitous around the world there will always be a (large)
market for locally executed programs and games.

[SixFragz]

Microsoft is looking beyond?!

I'm shocked!

[PCgamer98]

Yeah let's alienate every gamer with slow internet speed, data caps, and those with no internet at all.

[Ol_Boy]

Next Gen may be last for Microsoft's consoles lol. Sony and Nintendo consoles arent going anywhere. Especially Nintendo.

[frostypants]

Oh geez, not this sh*% again...

[PaleMoonDeath]

Just means an even larger market share for Sony & Nintendo, y'know, like the 90's. Won't really see a dent here I am afraid, dare I say maybe an improvement.

[RGB]

Been hearing this for 10 years now...
PS4 sold gangbusters, Switch is selling very well - both will get new successors and they probably will too based on their success. Microsoft is only looking at alternatives because they've destroyed their brand.

[spambot0815]

if you can integrate processing power inside a vr headset and still make confortable to wear, sure. still be going where sony exclusives are because 3rd, 2nd and other 1st party stuff can't match there current level of quality so don't get your hopes up too soon microsoft, ea, valve... and so on.

[Bleucrunch]

This is likely not the case with net-neutrality laws that give too much power to the private ISP's. They will stifle internet speeds so that consumers have no choice but to pay more for better bandwidth which is what streaming gaming will need. Furthermore, because the internet is basically a necessity in today's world, this will give ISP's all the leeway they need to screw over the consumer. I still cannot believe that House and Senate passed thought this was a good idea. To call those folks aloof, misguided and incompetent would be an understatement.

My fellow gamers please understand the reason why this will be an issue. First, it is because with the proposed streaming service my concerns are with the greedy ass publishers who seem to be releasing game with a lot of content missing and then charging extra for that content which is already within the game locked behind a paywall, that is one problem. The next problem is that it will be mandatory to have an internet connection in order to play video games in that gaming streaming world. This will be an added expense which will be at a high cost due to net neutrality being axed (SCREW YOU AJIT PAI).

In conclusion I think gaming streaming will eventually be the norm but it cannot right now because the internet laws are not fair. Personally I do not like a game streaming service, I want to own the items I purchase.

[secrettalkshowhost]

Always read things like this as "executives and shareholders desperately want next gen to be the last."

[dreue]

Lol, ubisoft focus on games and let sony do what they know best, playstation as a console will never die.... Because people still want a console..... You are not in charge, we gamers are the ones that will have the last word....

[Stanjara]

Do you see that chip makers and HDD makers are going to stop this 100 mil plus business? Yeah

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Dennis Dyack's one console future inching closer to reality.

[nomaki]

With the massive rise of gaming streaming services emerging, I can definitely agree.
Low powered box-top streamers will replace consoles, with the gaming brands focusing on software and in-house game development.

[MIDNIITE_Z3RO]

I think Microsoft should stop publishing games. I don't own an Xbox because it's trash. I didn't own an Xbox game until State of Decay 2 on PC, and even the Xbox App on PC is trash. It's easily the worst experience I've ever had with online gaming. And even after Undead Labs patched it, it's still having issues that aren't caused on Undead Labs' end. Doubt I'll ever buy another game that can only be accessed through the Xbox App, or however they try to stream it. The connection issues are the worst.

[michellelynn0976]

There will always be consoles and gamers who want physical copies.

[optimus]

I can see this happening....moreso since 5g bandwidth will become the norm with phones within the next year or so. Cable and satellite are losing subscribers by the minute and implementing streaming services to entice customers to stay... It's only logical for game companies to do the same. They reduce manufacturing costs and increasing profits.

[Hedstrom]

Havent heard this before..

[XtaZ]

Sony never pushed Xbox for cross-play last gen, you guys are just making up bullshit as an excuse. MS had a no cross-play policy last gen but even if they didn't there's no evidence that Sony would have actually wanted to cross-play with Xbox.

[MLGecko]

The previous gen, next gen was going to be the last gen. Eventually it has to be right, I guess.

[Twignberries]

"MICROSOFT LOOKS BEYOND PLATFORMS"...

And sees f***ing dollar signs..

[jv1991]

Let xbox go away from consoles plz. Its not like any decent games come on it so who cares? Playstation is far better with games!!

[saimcheeda]

It's been said tirelessly for well over a decade, yet here we are!

[agent4532]

I agree with Yves Guillemont. Consoles are sold in:

Brazil
Mexico
USA
Japan
South Korea
Indonesia
South Africa
European Union

I am not sure if consoles are sold in the middleast. The PC is the true global platform available in every corner of the world.

While streaming games may take awhile, downloading games is pretty good in terms of time to download games. With tvs becoming smarter, getting a cpu or better yet the thunderbolt port bye bye consoles. Hello 100% digital distribution able to download any game on any external/internal HDD via the PSN, Xbox Live, Nintendo tv app 😃

[Ashunderfire86]

The problem with Streaming is that no matter how great it is, your not guaranteed to have a stable internet connection everytime. Once the internet goes offline and that’s it! An what about hackers and the FCC repealing Net Neutrality for big companies, to take advantage of us by making us pay more for crap we already have? That always online nonsense Microsoft started would eventually lead to this with big companies dictatoring how we should use our content! This is the future Microsoft was trying to prepare us for.

[Artemidorus]

Disagree, consoles will just morph into something else like mobiles phones morphed into smartphones.

[ClanPsi1]

Hopefully this current gen is the last gen for M$. I'd like to see Sony and Nintendo continue in the console market and have M$ release their lacklustre lineup on Steam and GOG.

[Gwiz]

Ubisoft is already heavily invested in " games as a service ",also remember something about Ubisoft trying to convince investors of the new way of making money and now they're on MS's phallus to get a platform to take the first step.

I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft did take that step,knowing how Windows is already a service rather than a standalone OS.