14 DAY TRIAL // The next generation of consoles, with devices like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720, might not be successful, if video game download and streaming service OnLive might get off the ground, at least according to famed video game analyst Michael Pachter.
We're already around the middle of the current generation console cycle, and already the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are receiving new technologies to keep them interesting, through PlayStation Move and Kinect, but also redesigns, in the form of the new Slim versions.
But video game download and streaming service might foil Sony's and Microsoft's plans, according to Pachter.
The Wedbush Securities analyst says that if OnLive will adopt the new fads like 3D or motion controls, it might pose a serious threat to the likes of the PlayStation 4, Xbox 720 or Nintendo Wii HD.
When asked if such OnLive can compete with them in four or five years, Pachter replied: “I'm not sure where OnLive will be by then. If they can deliver a similar 3D/virtual reality experience (to Move and Kinect), we may not see new consoles succeed.”
Bear in mind though that this is a big if, and the first impressions of the OnLive beta stage aren't exactly praising the program.
OnLive currently offers members the ability to buy full games like Assassin's Creed 2 for 40 dollars or rent titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum for just 5 dollars.
The games are saved to that account, and can be accessed, with the game being played on OnLive machines and streamed back to the end user's machine.
As you can imagine, the whole experience depends on the user's Internet connection and speed, so it can't be accessed by a lot of people.
Will OnLive eventually pick up and become a threat to the regular game consoles?