Google Inc (GOOG), NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Three Radical Video Game Systems are Trying to Shake Up the Market

But the Shield does run stock Android and has access to the Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Play Store. So, if it does sell well, it will most certainly boost Android gaming even more so than the Ouya. But that seems unlikely.

Someone with a high-end Android phone, like a Samsung Galaxy or HTC’s One, could replicate Shield simply by pairing their phone with an external controller, such as the $50 MOGA Pro. That raises the question: who exactly is Shield for?

But Shield does have one innovative feature that you won’t find anywhere else: if you happen to have a newer NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) graphics card, you’ll be able to stream games from your PC to Shield — but only if you’re in the same area.

Shield seems like a test device, intended to allow NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) to explore the cloud gaming space. I don’t think investors should look to Shield as a catalyst for NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)’s stock, but it does lend support to the notion that NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is shifting its focus. Shield, along with Nvidia’s GRID program, could slowly transform the company from a desktop video card maker into a major player in cloud gaming.

The year is shaping up to be huge for the video game industry

Without a doubt, 2013 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in the history of video games. But it isn’t just the new consoles from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) that will shake up the industry; the Ouya, the Steam Box, and Nvidia’s shield are all radical new consoles that are poised to push video gaming in a totally different direction.

For investors, there are a few takeaways. Ouya brings the possibility of more Android games, and therefore, a more robust Android ecosystem. At the same time, Steam Boxes hint at the decline of Windows and could actually accelerate the operating system’s demise. Finally, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)’s Shield probably won’t sell well enough to matter, but does show that Nvidia should be a cloud gaming force in the future.

Joe Kurtz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Google and Nvidia. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google and Microsoft. Salvatore “Sam” is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

The article 3 Radical Video Game Systems are Trying to Shake Up the Market originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Salvatore “Sam” Mattera.

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