It's no surprise that media convergence is happening all around us. From cellphones becoming our own personal computers, to different industries (as mentioned in a previous blog post) merging together. But how do we feel about video game consoles converging with all different types of media to essentially become one master entertainment system? With the release of the Xbox One and the PS4, gamers are seeing a change in consoles where these consoles not only serve as a platform to enjoy the act of gaming, but various forms of entertainment. This change is obviously seen moreso on the Xbox One versus the PS4, as the Xbox One incorporates gaming with quick switches to television, split screening with Skype, future Twitch streaming capabilities, and more. The PS4 has not made such a bold move, as they have standard social networking integration with Facebook as well as access to Netflix (which really is no surprise at this point).
This platform switch from gaming to various forms of entertainment is fascinating because one cannot predict the outcome of future consoles. When will we see complete convergence? Will families buy consoles not for the sole purpose of gaming, but to have more organizational control of various media platforms? Is this already occurring via the Xbox One? It should be interesting to see where this goes with the next generation consoles, not that we need to think about that anytime soon :)!
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