Video games gunning for bandwidth
The next generation of video game consoles and games will be interconnected and ever-changing. Consumers will purchase a gaming console, bring it home, and connect it to their home network to access updates, new content, new opponents, and new shopping experiences. In this week's PodSession Om and I talk about the current state of the video game industry as well as the new demand created for servers, networking gear, software, and home connectivity as new devices make their way into the home.
Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony are showing off their new gaming consoles this week at E3 in Los Angeles. Xbox 360, Sony PS3, and Nintendo Wii feature online hubs for users and their games, increasing revenue opportunities for the console makers as well as smaller content producers. The new consoles are increasing demand for high definition televisions and always-on broadband connections. Linksys just introduced a network optimizer for gaming. Millions of game players online at any given time has also increased the demand for large server farms with fast response times around the world.
Portable and mobile phone gaming are also picking up speed, with public WiFi hotspot and 3G cellular technologies enabling gameplay in new locations. Nintendo's GameBoy DS includes WiFi and free access to the Internet and online gaming from McDonalds, Barnes and Noble, and other locations. Microsoft just announced Live Anywhere, a new online gaming initiative including Windows Mobile, Java, and BREW mobile handsets.
We talk about these topics and more in this week's PodSession, Video games gunning for bandwidth. The podcast is 21 minutes in length, a 10 MB download