Google TV 2.0 has launched with support for applications, an improved interface, and a host of other features that most of wished we could have seen in the first version of the software. But at least we have it now. And for those of us who love to be entertained in the living room, it’s something we’ll at least try out.
As I’ve said here before, I’m an avid gamer, and I’ve owned just about every game console that has hit store shelves. And each device — yes, even the 3DO — I have been impressed and entertained with in one way or another.
So, when I hear industry experts or veterans talk about the death of game consoles, I can’t help but get a little upset. After all, consoles have been a key part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Just yesterday, I was listening to the radio and before the DJ introduced the next song, he got into a discussion about Netflix with his co-host. They were discussing the company’s streaming library and said that based on what they’ve found, it’s filled with old movies and in many cases, television shows they’ll never want to watch.
Based on that, they said, they had decided to save their $7.99 per month and end their Netflix subscriptions.
If you’ve been paying attention to the monthly sales reports from research firm NPD, you know that Nintendo is having some trouble. The game company, which not long ago dominated the gaming space, is now an after-thought for many consumers. And in turn, the company’s financial performance is slipping.
Over the summer, some reports cropped up suggesting RIM was working on a set-top box that would compete against devices like the Apple TV. Dubbed “BlackBerry Cyclone,” the product would reportedly include Netflix streaming, YouTube content, and all kinds of other features.
Soon after that report surfaced, I took to SlashGear to discuss why I believed the device would fail miserably. I told readers that as an enterprise-focused mobile company, it wouldn’t make any sense for RIM to release such a device. And many of you agreed.
Earlier this week, I was having a conversation with a friend about Microsoft. We were talking about Windows, Office, and the Xbox 360, and discussing why we felt the software giant has been so successful over the years.
Towards the end of the conversation, my friend change the topic a bit, saying Microsoft still wields too much power in the industry and has changed little since its heyday as the so-called “Evil Empire.”
At the iPhone event held earlier this week in Cupertino, Calif., Apple showed off how the iPhone 4S could deliver a level of gaming that so far, has been unmatched in the mobile space. And developers, hoping to capitalize on the new technology, have already sounded off on how impressed and excited they are to start developing for the device.
When we think about the state of home entertainment today, we typically talk about companies like Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Sony, and others. After all, they’re the firms that are performing so well in the space right now, and they’re the companies that, at least for the time being, will continue to set the benchmark by which all others are judged.
But all that talk of big companies seems to leave out smaller firms that have some unique ideas but don’t seem to be able to get ahead.
Over the weekend, I was getting ready to play Gears of War 3 on my Xbox 360, and looked at my selection of game consoles, including the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, in addition to Microsoft’s hardware. After thinking about all the benefits of those devices, I asked myself a simple question: “which one of those could I simply not live without?”
Like many others, I’ve been extremely critical of Blockbuster over the years. I’ve felt that the company has failed to see the changing times, and has generally lost all sense of what consumers are after.
So, when Dish acquired Blockbuster earlier this year, I thought it might be a good thing for the formerly dominant rental firm. I thought that Dish could find a way to revive Blockbuster’s ailing business model, and return it to a place where it would no longer be viewed as a joke.
Netflix finds itself in a rather unsettling position. The company is having trouble convincing all the major content providers to jump on its streaming service — as evidenced by its recent troubles with Starz — and its CEO Reed Hastings’ recent apology didn’t go over well. All the while, shareholders are jumping ship at an alarming rate over concerns that the future might not be so bright for the company.
But Netflix believes it has a trump card ready to go. And that trump card is named Qwikster.
