Netbook boom to drive casual gaming

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Analyst predicts the ultra portable computers will become the 'most important gaming machines on earth'.

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Forget the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3, Netbooks are poised to become the most important gaming platform on earth. That's according to a report on iStockAnalyst, an online community of financial bloggers.

A netbook is an ultra portable personal computer that sacrifices performance and features (notably a DVD drive) in favour of reducing the size and power usage of the device. The Asus Eee PC was one of the first available netbooks, but now shares the market with a host of rivals from big name players such as DELL and Samsung.

The iStockAnalyst report notes: "Netbooks will almost certainly become the most popular PCs. And PC gaming is already far bigger than all console gaming put together. So netbooks are headed towards being one of the most important gaming machines on earth. And this has a significant impact on the future of gaming."

According to the report the popularity of the netbook, devices unable to run complex video games, will lead to a boom in MMOs and casual gaming portals.

"They are going to have an immense effect on pushing gaming onto servers. Boxed retail games are not what netbooks are about," states the reports.

iStockAnalyst also notes that existing portals such as Steam need to evolve to become more server based in order to appeal to the netbook gamer.

Are you a netbook gamer or are planning on getting a netbook? Let us know in the comments below.

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dreamhunk's Avatar
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dreamhunk

but as a pc gamer i would rather have this baby, but this oneis out of my buget and there is no games for it yet lol
http://computerworld.com/action/arti... cleId=9120741

http://www.nvidia.com/object/persona...computing.html
Posted 17:37 on 27 November 2008
dreamhunk's Avatar
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dreamhunk

I can see it
Posted 15:18 on 27 November 2008
Elke's Avatar
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Elke

I think it's "too soon" to call it THE most important gaming platform, but I definitly think it's one step closer to become it. It small, cheap and in most cases upgradable which offers options consoles can not give. I'm personally more of a mouse/keyboard player than a controler player, and I also play on my laptop which goes every where with me. It's a bit like a DS but bigger and more powerful and with better game, so I definitly think it has bright futur.

As for steam, i think steam is great, I think the netbook should be able manage the older versions of the games (such as counter-strike 1.6 or even simple, Abe's oddysey). It's something notebook creators and valve itself need to talk about together and work out together if they want to make it happen.
Posted 14:22 on 27 November 2008