Microsoft: Multiple Platforms with one Account
Microsoft recently acquired Skype for some $8.5 billion dollars which has generated a lot of buzz. Some believe that they will instantly make it a pay-only service. But I believe they have far larger ideas for it. Kinect is most likely coming to the PC very soon and Skype would be the ideal 
platform for its video chat features and all of it could instantly be tied right into the existing Kinect video chat. Skype has been, for some time, one of the leaders of online communication, text, audio and video so it seems only right that Microsoft would want to snap that up and integrate it into their flagship products. It could also be an instant win for gamers as it could be the new backbone for communication on LIVE whether you access it from your Windows PC, Xbox 360 or Windows Phone 7 smartphone . With one login you have access to not only your friends and family but also a wide range of gaming possibilities
Now the big question is, will they consider a portable gaming unit or simply push Windows Phone 7 as their primary portable gaming platform. Tablets are surely going to continue to be hot and with a version of Windows specifically for tablets it means more gaming for us.
It should also mean cross-platform gaming as smartphones turn super and tablets become commonplace. Purchasing a game from the LIVE network and being able to play on multiple devices with friends on different devices is definitely something I would like to see. Plus, with some recent moves, like the Skype acquisition, they are set to offer more than just cross-platform gaming.
Of course, in light of all that’s happened to the Playstation Network lately, that had best be doing numerous, rigorous security checks and tests right now because it would be an absolute embarrassment if they were to come out and say they were hacked and data was stolen.
Nintendo: Lost in Translation?
Nintendo has been about going their own way for some time, but one day they need to wake up and smell the consolidation. They’ve not seen fit to really get on the one game multi-platform bandwagon. But there’s hope for the future as they are set to announce the next generation of Wii, or Wii3D (if they listen to me). This could give them the home platform they need to tie into the portable platforms.
I mean it would be cool to play, say, Pokemon on a home console and portable console or even have some type of cross-platform connection, right? Well, if you’re not a Poke-fan you might not see the coolness in it.
But what about say, a Mario 3D that could work on both the home console and the portable? that would be cool, right? Of course, they would need to figure out a way to overcome what will probably amount to a large gap in power between the 3DS and the next console. While there have been no real hard details about it, we are all guessing that it will be HD and 3D and that of course will mean some good processing power and higher-end GPU to make it smooth and functional.
Still, they are cut off from all other connectivity. They have no Android stuff that we know of in the works. They have no plans to work with Windows or any other operating system. They are still, in a little mushroom-infested world all to themselves and that could, eventually prove their downfall. I find it really odd that the company who made a console in an attempt to make games more social, has ended up segregating themselves from almost all others. Sure, some might say that they separated themselves through innovative technology but really, it seems like they’re just off on their own tangent. Who cares as long as Mario, Metroid and Zelda keep on coming, right?
