Console games will be killed?

[[Unknown]]

The day that I have to rent all of my games through a streaming service or something like Steam is the day I stop playing games.

I own games that are fairly old and still play them. Numerous of their developers are no longer in business (unfortunately), or if they are, doubtless care very little for the game anymore. I also have books, movies, card games, etc. in the same situation. None of these are unavailable to me.

For example, I refuse to use Steam specifically because of section 10C, which I am unable and unwilling to agree with:
http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

"Valve may cancel your Account or any particular Subscription(s) at any time in the event that ... Valve ceases providing such Subscriptions to similarly situated Subscribers generally ..."

I know I'm pretty alone in this; most users are perfectly happy to pay money for something to a company who may stop providing the thing they purchased any time from 1 second after they received the money to 10 years or more entirely at the company's discretion, but me, I'm just not so naive/trusting. I like to get the things I pay for. I'm silly that way.

So will console gaming, as we know it currently, go away? Probably yes. I agree that it will end up entirely subscription based (until/unless something happens, like a company such as Sony or Steam goes out of business or loses some big licenses, and people realize this is something that can matter to them.) Will I stop playing games entirely? No, I'll just only play my old games. I have a big backlog anyway.

As to why console gaming will likely fall:

1. It used to be that a video game console provided a way for you to write and test once, and know that your game would work. But this has degraded:
1.1. Look at the New 3DS. That's exactly what consoles are supposed to NOT ever do from a developer's perspective. It just became a moving target.
1.2. Consumers now demand all games be multiplatform. So you don't have this anyway.

2. Desktops are becoming more similar to consoles.
2.1. The differentiating factors and benefits of a console are disappearing
2.2. Normal users now typically have the ability to connect their desktop to a larger screen / TV or already do.
2.3. Desktops are tending to have fewer or the same sorts of compatibility problems than the various consoles or other devices.

3. Piracy (and in some cases imagined piracy) is pushing content providers to move toward streaming gaming where the specs of a device will matter far less than its input devices and network signal.

4. Users have become more fond of online and massively multiplayer games which require a constant connection, subscription, etc. and are thus more profitable anyway.

5. Users have shown they are willing to be advertised to within games to purchase add-on content, which can be more profitable for content providers (and has seen less piracy.) This means the games have changed to a degree from a product of value to a vehicle for further sales.

The biggest blocker to streaming is still network especially in many countries, for example the United States - which is still a fairly large market. As that problem lessens, all the cards are there on the table. The only way consoles would stay alive is if consumers stop letting them die.

-[Unknown]