Do you remember when games would release in the arcade long before you would see them on a console? Well, if you were born in the 90s you probably don’t, but for the rest of us, we remember it explicitly. I spent hundreds of dollars on Street Fighter vs X-Men long before any version of the game appeared on a console. But as console technology got better, the need for high-end arcade machines lessened. Eventually the video game console took over and because of that, I haven’t entered an arcade looking for the newest game in ten years.
It would make sense that movies would follow a similar route. With HD televisions, 3D televisions and streaming video on the rise, it seems as though it may be a reality. In fact, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick thinks so, and he’s said that in the next five years he’s going to prove it. He’s said that Blizzard plans on releasing the in-game movies from Starcraft: Wings of Liberty (and following expansions) as a full length movie.
In truth, the theater experience is a lot different than that of an arcade, and I don’t think that that will ever change; even Kotick’s plan has holes in it. So, when streaming video really takes over the market (which it will), it may be that you’ll see only some, more high profile, movies released in the theater while others are offered over streaming services like Netflix.