It looks like game streaming subscription services will play a large role in the future, giving us all a Netflix-style experience. Many influential figures in the gaming industry seem to think so, too. Square Enix boss, Yosuke Matsuda, released a New Year statement, announcing company goals and stated that there will be “rapid adaptation of new platforms” in reference to streaming and subscription services.
In the New Year statement, Matsuda said:
Against this backdrop of significant change, the current generation of game consoles has entered the late stage, and the next generation of consoles has become a topic of discussion in the digital entertainment industry. Meanwhile, cloud streaming services for gaming have at last begun to show signs of taking off. Streaming is likely to bring a number of new platform operators into the market in addition to the existing console providers, while platform holders are also joining the PC gaming space. These developments produce a growing number of avenues through which game publishers and developers can provide content. In particular, game streaming services will be the ultimate driver of a rapid transition from the sale of games in boxes to digital consumption. Streaming also lends itself to new subscription-based business models, so we believe deciding how to engage with these forthcoming trends will be key to future growth.
Matsuda isn’t the first one to come to this realization—if you recall, Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot seems to think the PlayStation 5 will be the last of the traditional consoles, with the subsequent generations of hardware focusing solely on streaming and subscription services.
In Matsuda’s letter, he also mentioned wanting to focus heavily on “aggressive” overseas expansion, so it’s clear that Square Enix has a lot going on going forward, especially with the upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts III. As the next generation approaches, we will be eagerly awaiting more details as they unfold and we’ll keep you updated as that happens.
[Source: Push Square]
