Nintendo, are you scared yet?
If I was encased in your snug, white lycra pants right now, I'd be pooping them.
Not satisfied with your gaming competition—Sony and Microsoft—you've decided to clash swords with the likes of Apple, Google, and Wal-Mart. In the past, especially with the Nintendo 64DD and Broadcast Satellaview, you've admitted that a game console can be more than simply "games." Although these were somewhat half-hearted attempts at "convergence," you can't be blamed.
Convergence is a buzzword relic of the 80s, when movie, music and game studios were attempting to combine the three medias to manifest the ultimate home entertainment device. Ultimately, everyone failed. The technology wasn't there. The market wasn't ready.
Sony joined the game industry all those years ago because it acknowledged the threat and opportunity of such a device. Since then it has been working feverishly toward this goal, along the way catching the attention of Microsoft. Bill Gates and company had visions of sugarplums dancing in their digital heads. If there was going to be an operating system at the center of this ultimate home entertainment device, it'd be theirs.
So how close are we to achieving this magical "convergence?" The answer? Closer than we were twenty years ago.
Digital distribution is already prevalent with music. Video is soon to follow. And in a few years, boatloads of games will be distributed digitally. When that time comes, your living room, your office, and your bus-ride will be adorned with devices that both facilitate digital distribution and also interface your many forms of video and audio display.
The Wii Remote bridges the gap between television and video games. It finds the similarities between the two more than any console before it. The children of the Wii Remote will forever change how we interact with our media.
I think we're still several years away from this ultimate entertainment device. But Nintendo, you have at least shown us the way with the Remote while Sony and Microsoft have set the foundation for the distribution and interface.
In a future generation, I see a device that supports an interface similar to tabbed Internet browsing. For example, on one tab/channel, you're watching CNN and a timed poll appears that you can directly vote on with your remote. On another tab you can play a game of Zelda and choose to still listen to the CNN newscast in the background. On a third tab you can use the traditional internet to visit GameFAQs for a Zelda strategy guide. At your leisure, you can close, open and flip through tabs of music, games, and video. Suddenly your friend calls and tells you to meet him at his home. You press start and sync your open tabs to your cell phone.
Convergence still has a rough road ahead. The cooperation between industries (games, music, television) will take time and effort. But it's inevitable. And with devices such as the iPhone and PlayStation 3 already on the market, it's a future that no longer feels so far away.
So like I said... Nintendo, you're mighty brave to be wearing those pants. I just hope you brought a spare.
Not satisfied with your gaming competition—Sony and Microsoft—you've decided to clash swords with the likes of Apple, Google, and Wal-Mart. In the past, especially with the Nintendo 64DD and Broadcast Satellaview, you've admitted that a game console can be more than simply "games." Although these were somewhat half-hearted attempts at "convergence," you can't be blamed.
Convergence is a buzzword relic of the 80s, when movie, music and game studios were attempting to combine the three medias to manifest the ultimate home entertainment device. Ultimately, everyone failed. The technology wasn't there. The market wasn't ready.
Sony joined the game industry all those years ago because it acknowledged the threat and opportunity of such a device. Since then it has been working feverishly toward this goal, along the way catching the attention of Microsoft. Bill Gates and company had visions of sugarplums dancing in their digital heads. If there was going to be an operating system at the center of this ultimate home entertainment device, it'd be theirs.
So how close are we to achieving this magical "convergence?" The answer? Closer than we were twenty years ago.
Digital distribution is already prevalent with music. Video is soon to follow. And in a few years, boatloads of games will be distributed digitally. When that time comes, your living room, your office, and your bus-ride will be adorned with devices that both facilitate digital distribution and also interface your many forms of video and audio display.
The Wii Remote bridges the gap between television and video games. It finds the similarities between the two more than any console before it. The children of the Wii Remote will forever change how we interact with our media.
I think we're still several years away from this ultimate entertainment device. But Nintendo, you have at least shown us the way with the Remote while Sony and Microsoft have set the foundation for the distribution and interface.
In a future generation, I see a device that supports an interface similar to tabbed Internet browsing. For example, on one tab/channel, you're watching CNN and a timed poll appears that you can directly vote on with your remote. On another tab you can play a game of Zelda and choose to still listen to the CNN newscast in the background. On a third tab you can use the traditional internet to visit GameFAQs for a Zelda strategy guide. At your leisure, you can close, open and flip through tabs of music, games, and video. Suddenly your friend calls and tells you to meet him at his home. You press start and sync your open tabs to your cell phone.
Convergence still has a rough road ahead. The cooperation between industries (games, music, television) will take time and effort. But it's inevitable. And with devices such as the iPhone and PlayStation 3 already on the market, it's a future that no longer feels so far away.
So like I said... Nintendo, you're mighty brave to be wearing those pants. I just hope you brought a spare.