With many users starting to use computer monitors to play console games, if the Xbox can run Explorer, Office, Skype and most if not all the other 3rd party apps, then a lot of people might just buy an Xbox instead of a PC as their primary computer at home.

FORBES: Microsoft's Next Xbox Is For Your Living Room, But Isn't For Gamers

And the rise of direct downloads, in which games are sent directly to a computer or a console via the internet, appeals to gaming's comparatively young and technophilic audience.

ECONOMIST: Media retailing