After GameStop purchased Spawn Labs in order to pursue game streaming, many thought this was more proof that consoles are dying out.
The digital age is upon us and some developers have shifted their attention to that format. But the world's biggest game retailer isn't about to dismiss consoles; speaking during CES, GameStop CEO Paul Raines says streaming "won't replace consoles." Said Raines:
"We bought this technology company called Spawn Labs and we're doing some very interesting things. We can stream console games right now – the technology works great. Now we're in the process of the commercial agreements. How do we merchandise it and go to market? There's no question to us that streaming will play a role in this industry, but it will not replace console gaming. I think that's sort of the old way of thinking about that."
Cloud service Gaikai has already stated that one of the major console manufacturers won't be producing a next-gen system , but it seems GameStop disagrees with that. It may be true that Sony doesn't plan to get involved until after the new Xbox has arrived, but that would fly in the face of company comments saying they don't wish to be last to market this time around. Why make the statement if you don't plan to produce a new machine? …that'd be pretty arbitrary.
Well, whatever happens, it goes without saying that for the time being, the vast majority of gamers still want their consoles. Times can change awfully fast, though…
