Despite its failings, Stadia has few complaints about its killer feature: streaming at decently high FPS. Whether Google pulls it off or not ultimately isn't th

Despite its failings, Stadia has few complaints about its killer feature: streaming at decently high FPS. Whether Google pulls it off or not ultimately isn't the question- the question is whether game streaming over the web will be the norm in 10 years, and I think that Stadia's initial rollout has proven the tech out. I'm rather fond of physical game media. I like the way it looks on a shelf, and how I can always trade it at a local store for something else. I like that I can demo titles via Redbox. I like that I own my hardware and can get some value out of it if I sell it. Downloadable games don't have those qualities, but at least they can (generally) be played offline and still allow for permanent ownership. That said, all of those qualities have essentially vanished with music and video streaming and gaming isn't fundamentally different than those mediums. Look at home stereo systems over the past 50 years, where audiophile quality has given way to convenient delivery almost universally. Any player in the game streaming business needs to have big metal, fat pipes, and money to burn on acquisition, so it does seem like a somewhat of a natural monopoly.