Xbox May Replace Your Cable Box?

Video game consoles could replace the cable box in the future. iSuppli points out that PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox consoles already have broadband capability, they are already in your livingroom and the console makers are starting to include built in video-on-demand like Netflix. So video game consoles (and portable game machines) are already competing with the new Internet TV boxes like Roku, Boxee and ZillionTV. Sony is about to launch an MLB. TV service for the PS3 that streams live baseball games.
Video game consoles in 2009 represented 52 percent of all living room CE devices with embedded broadband. Handheld game machines came in second at 44 percent. It’s up to the game machine makers to determine how significant a role they will play in becoming the video-on-demand platform of choice, said iSuppli.
“Video game consoles continue to evolve past simply being gaming devices,” said iSuppli analyst Pamela Tufegdzic. “Because of this, game consoles no longer are just competing among themselves.” They are now competing with cable companies and telcos plus set top box makers. “The unique nature of video game consoles could give them a strong chance of winning the battle for the connected home,” she said.
Source: iSuppli