THE FUTURE OF TV

Kotaku published an article this morning asking (and entitled) "Is Xbox Where TV is Going?" It reports that "Microsoft is on the verge of landing a deal that will net their Xbox 360 access to some or all of Verizon and Comcast's cable television." Will cable boxes become a thing of the past as home consoles like Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 continue to become more than just gaming devices?


I heart my Xbox 360 and all its online-ness. I frequently use Netflix on there, which is in my mind the ideal place to use it. Xbox Live has had an ESPN channel for nearly a year now, but I haven't given it much time or though. Then there is Hulu and Zune Marketplace. PlayStation 3 has all this as well. I used to even watch MSNBC news on my Xbox 360 until that feature mysteriously went MIA. Maybe I was the only one using it... Still, these consoles are multi-media devices. They are fast becoming an entertainment hub with which you can replace all other machines in your living room with.


In his article Brian Crecente speculates future possibilities, "Imagine getting a pop-up on your television while in the middle of playing 'Madden NFL 2016,' telling you that the latest episode of Psych just started. A single button push pauses the game and drops you straight into the show. Or the opposite. Maybe you're watching a show and a friend shoots you an invite asking you to play a round of 'Call of Duty.' A button-push starts recording the show and drops you into the game."


2016. Not a stretch at all. For those of us who already watch TV anymore anyway, a home console with a Netflix subscription is all you currently want or need anyway. 


What do you think about these prospects? Might non-gamers pick up an Xbox 1080 or PlayStation 4 simply because it is the new way to watch TV? I know my folks sometimes use their Wii to watch movies on (and that is all they use it for).