Video game consoles the most popular way to watch things online?

According to an article by Steven Musil, on cnet.com more and more people are using their gaming devices to watch material online.  The article states that while most people still use their PC's or laptops to watch online movies and video, people are switching to using gaming consoles to watch on their televisions.   These consoles include the X-box,  the Playstation 3, and the Wii which all have internet capabilities.  Market researcher Strategy Analytics, claims "12 percent of U.S. households use the game platforms to watch online movies, TV shows or videos".  This percentage is only growing from the amount of game players that have increased in recent years. 

 I believe this makes sense considering the recent trend in gaming over the past 5-10 years. Gaming has exploded with the release of the Playstation 3, the Xbox, and the Wii.  Now the whole family plays games together as opposed to one or two children playing alone.  Playing video games is not what it used to be.  It is no longer just sitting in front of a television holding a controller, and staring at a screen. Now you can play with your friends and they do not have to be in the same house that you are. They do not even have to be in the same state or country that you are.  Gaming has become a  form of social media because anyone can now connect and meet people through playing their favorite video game.

So it just makes sense that the gaming companies would make their consoles internet capable. That way gamers can connect with people anywhere in the world, and the gaming consoles can be more versatile.  When you buy a game console such as the Xbox, you are not only buying a gaming device, but something like a computer, considering you can chat, contact friends, and surf the Internet all in one device.  Now you will even be able to watch TV on your gaming console because according to the article, Xbox is in talks with Microsoft to bring television content to the Xbox.  Which means that gaming consoles are now becoming even more versatile, and an even bigger force in social media.  I think that this convergence will be very exciting for gamers and internet users alike because once again businesses such as Microsoft have made it easier than ever to be able to use all types of media at once through one machine.  We have seen this through the iPad and the new Amazon Fire, and now gaming companies are jumping on the bandwagon.  Anything that combines the Internet and my other favorite types of media is a good thing in my book.  This just proves  to all the non-believers that convergence is inevitable and we should all embrace it.