Editor's note: Many gamers see digital downloads as the future of games. Jim sees digital as the present -- streaming's the future. And I agree. Imagine never needing to buy a console or upgrade a PC again to play games. -Jason

The discussion about digital downloads as "the future" of video games continues to increase. Theories say that we'll be downloading all of our media within the next 15 years. If digital downloads are the future, I must've hit 88 mph in my DeLorean and zoomed into 2025 -- the last time I checked, I was downloading games like crazy.

I have a Steam account. I have dozens of Xbox Live Arcade games and a few PlayStation Network games. The last time I checked, you could download Xbox 360 games to your hard drive. All of the iPhone's software comes via digital download -- it must be some alien technology!

Digital downloads are the present, not the future. The streaming of video games is the future.

We already steam videos on the Internet. In case you weren't aware, every time you watch a YouTube video, you aren't downloading it -- you're steaming it. Streaming's huge in music; MySpace, Pandora, and Last.fm are all sources of streaming music. It's how I listen to a good chunk of music now. Xbox 360's latest dashboard update allows for 1080p instant streaming of movies. About half of the people on my friends list stream Netflix movies to their consoles.

So, when do we start streaming video games?

Let's ask OnLive, the service that made its public debut at this year's GDC. OnLive's announcement resulted in gamers asking some difficult questions about the future of video games. OnLive, who claims that they will be up and running this winter (it says 2009 on their website, but I just checked the calendar, and, well...they are running out of time), claims they will be able to use your broadband Internet connection to stream any video game to your TV, PC, or Mac regardless of it's specs. How can they do this? Well, technically, you would just be controlling a streaming video. The game machine is on their side.

It sounds pretty unbelievable, and tons of technical naysayers have assailed the concept. But I believe the service will work. I see two ways this technology could be implemented.

The first is what I like to call the "Utopia outcome." Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo stop making consoles and just make games for the service. Otherwise known as the “one console future,” we would either pay a monthly fee or pay for the license to stream certain games -- $60 may bag you the rights to stream Halo 4.

This is the more likely result: Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo buys the technology and makes it their next console, leaving the “other two” to scramble to compete. It's definitely an interesting way to look at it; the repercussions are massive. If Sony was to buy the tech, they could build it into televisions -- imagine a new Sony Bravia with the capability to stream PlayStation games. Microsoft could build game streaming into Windows.

Nintendo...you know, let's not think about what Nintendo could do with it.

Building streaming tech into preexisting devices and software would not only make it easier for these big corporations to incorporate it, it would also be in front of millions of more consumers than a console would. My sister would buy an HDTV but never a console. The potential for her to pick up a controller to play a game that's streamed to her TV is huge.

This is the future of video games -- never worrying again about what console to buy or if your PC could run the latest games. The only thing we would have to worry about is if we had enough time in our day to play all these games -- and, of course, if our broadband pipes are “fat” enough to handle the bandwidth.

I could write a whole different article on whether or not I think the technology will actually work, but I think over time, home Internet connections and the availability of broadband Internet will improve. A few years of refining would refine the streaming. You could raise a stink about how you would actually never “own” a game ever again, but I think the trade off is worth it.

Streaming video games would obviously be a monumental change to business as usual and is probably a scary thought for console makers and publishers (not to mention retailers like GameStop), but you can't deny it's a sweeping change in the right direction. Console-exclusive games only benefit the console maker, who hopes to sell more consoles than the other guy. If every game were available to everyone, gamemakers could sell more games. Multiplayer communities may also benefit from an influx of gamers who were previously unable to play certain games. PC games would also get a boost, because now any PC could run any game.

I can't predict when we'll walk into this video-game promised land -- or even if it will happen. But I certainly hope it does. It's just going to take some major corporations to move slightly quicker than the glacial pace they currently move at -- and maybe put their customer's best interests first.

I originally posted this blog at www.fourplayercoop.com.