Browser-Based Games

With Lou Castle now heading up InstantAction and transforming it into a publishing platform, browser-based gaming is getting more attention. Do you see this as the next big trend, even before streaming services like OnLive or Gaikai? 

Browser-based games are great, but they don’t offer the same experience as console games.  If we ever get open Internet access in the living room on a widespread basis, I think that browser-based gaming could be a big trend, but that appears to be several years off.  The consoles offer a far better gaming experience, as they’re connected to a big screen TV in a comfortable setting, typically with a great sound system.  Browser-based games are typically going to be accessed through the PC, which offers a generally inferior experience.  I know that the flamers will say that PC gaming rules, but the numbers speak for themselves:  console gaming will be an $18 billion market this year, and PC gaming will be under $3 billion.  The super hardcore PC gamer will be attracted to browser-based games, and these games certainly have great potential for expanding the market into underdeveloped territories (like China, India, Brazil), but I don’t see them putting much of a dent into the console market.