The Revolution Will Be Televised

As such, the games are largely "snackable" experiences that can that can deliver a satisfying experience regardless of the user's available time - the version of GameTree TV we were shown had Plants Vs. Zombies, Osmos, World Of Goo, and a range of other games that displayed the same mix of casual gameplay and skilful design. At first, the service will be programmed with "mums, tweens and children" in mind, before moving on to fathers and young-adult males.

"Always being very careful that we don't look like we're competing with the consoles or high-end PCs," adds Gupta.

However, while PlayJam had a long history of developing and distributing casual games to a mainstream TV audience, TransGaming had no such incentive to create its service in a similar mould. GameTree TV won't launch with AAA games and it won't stream content from the cloud, and Gupta is very clear about the reasoning behind those choices.

"Because we know, with 100 per cent certainty, that we can deliver a great experience," he says. "We recognise that what we build today has to cater to what's available today."

The fact of the matter is that not every jurisdiction in the world has outstanding bandwidth, and we simply cannot deliver a sub-par experience to the consumer

Vikas Gupta, TransGaming

"We're taking a pragmatic approach in the sense that we'll continue to evolve GameTree TV based on the evolution of technology as well as standards across the world. The fact of the matter is that not every jurisdiction in the world has outstanding bandwidth, and we simply cannot deliver a sub-par experience to the consumer when we know there are going to be bandwidth restrictions in place."

"That's why, today, the download model works very well. Until both the technology and bandwidth caps catch up, and we know we can guarantee a high-quality consumer experience, I don't think [streaming] makes sense. Then what we're doing is trying to deliver to the consumer a pipe dream. Maybe it works well, maybe it doesn't, but we can't guarantee that service. We just don't operate that way."

Another problem with AAA games on Smart TV is pricing. Gupta acknowledges that consumer behaviour is changing, but right now the largest amount that the TV audience is used to spending on a single transaction is a few dollars for video-on-demand. GameTree TV can offer unlimited access to its portfolio for an affordable monthly fee - similar to Netflix. But while OnLive has a narrow selection of games under a subscription service, for the most part it will have to run with more conventional retail price-points.

"I don't believe that sitting in your living room as a family that anybody is going to be willing to spend $60 the way people do on console," Gupta says. "I think that's a really massive leap from what the television experience is today to where other companies want to try and take the consumer."

"We're trying to align ourselves with what consumer behaviour for the television looks like today; obviously evolve it a little bit, but evolve it in a natural manner, as opposed to completely breaking how consumers perceive TV today and trying to convince them that this is the new way to do things. We just don't believe you can build a bridge that crosses that massive a gap, where you go from consuming content for a few bucks to paying $60 for a AAA game."

Ultimately, OnLive, Gaikai, PlayJam and TransGaming all agree on one thing: the Smart TV market is young enough, and their respective models are different enough, for all four companies to co-exist. However, the conversation over which has the strongest approach purely in business terms is more difficult to dismiss. When asked about the future of gaming through Smart TV, every interviewee was certain that the television will eventually become the "aggregating hub" for all media content in the home, replacing DVD players, cable boxes, stereo systems, and, yes, even consoles.

And that's the key word: "eventually". In the end, the difference in who sinks, who swims, and who emerges as the market leader might prove to be nothing more than a matter of timing.

"I think you'll see TVs doing everything in the future, and all of those boxes that were plugged in around them will go away," Perry says. "It's the way the world is going, and I don't think that's something we want to fight."

"Something that's acceptable today, every year will become less and less acceptable going forward."