According to reports out of Microsoft, as reported by the New York Times, two giants may soon collide, and the result will be good. According to the reports, Microsoft and Disney are currently in talks to start a programming deal with ESPN. The details of the deal are yet to be released, but what is known is that Microsoft wants to stream live  ESPN games through its console. Additional benefits of the deal may be a series of mini games in association with ESPN.

It comes a no surprise that things are headed in this direction. In 2008 Microsoft began to offer the ability to stream Netflix videos through the console, a move that was followed by Sony in 2009 with the Playstation 3 and will be followed on the Nintendo Wii this year. Consoles have moved past just being video-game systems; they are now home-entertainment systems. In the United Kingdom, Xbox 360 owners can already stream BBC broadcasts through their consoles. Additionally, Japanese PS3 owners can use their consoles as a TiVO of sorts, recording television programs onto their harddrives.

It makes sense for these companies to move in this direction. As the costs of electronics rise, consumers are happy to have to purchase just one piece of equipment, and the price is usually justified. Currently priced at $299 for a 120 GB model, the PS3 can play video games, play Blu-Ray movies, stream Netflix videos, has a quite robust web browser, and acts a music player. Similarly, the Xbox 360, at the same price point, can play video games, play DVDs, stream Netflix videos, act as a music player (with the added bonus of Last.fm), and be used to log onto Facebook and Twitter. On top of all this, both companies promise that more is to come.

Is it just a matter of time before these forms of media merge? Will we one day have movies that, if played on an Xbox or Playstaion system, are interactive? That all remains to be seen, but for now it seems that the console designers are headed in the right direction. Let’s just hope that they keep it up.