“Consoles are facing competition and extinction”

why do people go to the cinema?

big screen, quality visual, big sound etc

why do people play console games?

big screen, quality visual, big sound etc

Sure, casual gaming works well on the 'net and small on devices and is sure to grow, but like the cinema, replacing console games with the 'net is not going to happen on someting with a 3inch screen. It needs to be far more creative than that.

They can and probably will co-exist.

This to is only an opinion

Digital marketing company makes wishful-thinking claim about the gaming sector that makes the better use of digital marketing? Perish. The. Thought.

I Agree with you guys....Its way too early to start judging. PS3 developers are just starting to explore what is possible with the machine. They wont fully get to grips with this machine for several years look at the releases on Ps2 at then end of the cycle. Also new peripherals will be developed to support new console experiences and of course the price will drop. and we have not even mentioned the XBOX or Wii. I'm in the Casual online gaming industry and I'm seeing large growth in this area right now but the casual experience is exactly that casual. But what if I want to play MGS3 also there is enough space for everyone...That said it is true that many developers are missing the point on good games and for sure the PS3 needs good constant titles and lots of them.

Considering this article isn't supported by any facts, figures, or otherwise examples of how consumers are letting their 'tvs collect dust', I'd say its pretty irrelevant.
Yet another in the never-ending stream of 'consoles are going to die' argument that pops up now and then...and like all those, not one at all supported by the facts. Have console sales dwindled? Have they even slowed? Is there any indication that console software has peaked, or started a downward trial?
Why this industry supports and continually props up this rubbish is beyond me...has home video ruined the theater experience? Have mp3s ruined music sales? Industries adapt; they seldom (if ever) give up everything for one thing.
Again, as this 'opinion' was written by someone who's invested in the growth of casual gaming on the web, it hardly qualifies as even opinion. Its PR...enough said.

I play games in the lounge with the TV, my wife and perhaps some friends. I've never been invited round someone's house to play Guitar Hero in the spare bedroom before; which is where most people I know keep their PC/Internet connectivity. And besides, playing games with friends tends to be in conjunction with chatting, eating, drinking and general socialising. If they didn't have a console switched on, I'd still visit!
I don't fancy the idea of playing on my own with my 'internet social network' while ignoring the family either.
I believe that the author of this article, and those he considers his/her friends, don't leave the workplace much.
It also appears to me that just because some gamers are tired of the same ol' format, it doesn't mean it isn't fresh to the newcomers.

Definitely one of the dumbest things I've read this year. It's not a bold claim; it's a false and hopeful claim.

The man is thinking of a completely different target audience that can't harm a console in a million years.

That was an unbelievably stupid article. Casual gaming and console gaming are about as equivalent as Monopoly is to real estate management. Generally similar, but vastly different in scope.
In my opinion, more people are playing casual games online because they're simply looking for a faster distraction. It's easier to flip over to a browser game at work than it is to bring in your Xbox and play it when the boss isn't looking. I have never had a browser game capture my attention or envelop me in an outstanding story, which is exactly what I look for when I buy a console title.

The numbers and signs are there. Gamers just don't want to see them. They see the 'hardcore' machines like the 360, PS3 and PC still around so they think all is okay. And yet it's the more 'gameplay' orientated machines like the Wii, the DS and PS2 (which still sells more than the PS3!) that are doing the best, as everyone without their head in the sand can see. We all know casual, indie and retro gaming is growing leaps and bounds. After all, we have the recent success of www.GOG.com, selling retro PC games, and two months ago DOSBox announced their five millionth download!

The signs are there. Most gamers just don't want to see them.

LOL! So people start looking for older games and suddenly you think the industry is in a switchback?

Gamers just want to have fun. Older games are enticing because of their nostalgia, or more importantly because most have fallen into public domain and are thus free to download. Casual games have the same appeal. Free entertainment! But, you get what you pay for, and the limitations of casual gaming far exceed that of the console market. As a programmer, consoles are very enticing as a platform. They offer a level of power and immersion that a swf file could never achieve.

This article is comparing two different industries. The economics that drive them aren't compatible. Neither of them could ever send the other into extinction. At best they could only support each other. Maple Story could hardly compete with the scope and community of World of Warcraft, just like Wii's Virtual Console could hardly match the popularity of online browser game portals.

What's ridiculous is that the author, and those who somehow agree with this article, are naive enough to fail to see the difference.