Will Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online revolutionize online gameplay?

There is an interesting article at Mashable about EA Sports' latest announcement.

From the announcement:

Available this fall, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is an authentic golf simulation experience that is dynamically streamed to a web browser and requires no game installation, no disc, and no additional peripherals. This game is easily accessible and available anywhere, via a web browser and an internet connection.

I can't say that Sony (with the PlayStation3), Microsoft (with the XBox) and Nintendo (with the Wii) will be happy about this. Unless they also offer a version on the PS3, Xbox and Wii online.

This is a serious shot across the bow of the gaming platforms. EA is cutting out a number of middlemen -- instead of needing to package their discs and send them to outlets to sell to gamers who also need to own a PS3, Xbox or Wii, now all that is required is a computer and a broadband internet connection.

No more trips to Best Buy or GameStop to grab the latest title. Instead, people can sit at home and download the latest golf course.

But, Mashable writes:

A big part of EA’s bet here is that they’ll be able to change user behavior. As significant as the advantages of online gameplay might sound, buying the latest version of Madden (and other EA games) is almost a religious experience for many people. Additionally, some EA games have already implemented online features, and will likely continue to do so, making some of the advantages of online-only games less relevant.

Of course, it’s not necessarily an either/or decision between online and console. Diehard gamers might want to play Tiger Woods both on their console at home and online when they’re on-the-go. And EA is likely to continue to offer both options for the foreseeable future, using the Tiger Woods game as a measuring stick for whether they’ll be able to successfully apply the model to some of their other, huge franchises. It all makes sense on paper, but ultimately the gamers will decide.

So perhaps it will lead to this: a stripped-down online version for a tiered-monthly fee. And those who also purchase the physical game for their gaming console (or even PC) will get some extras.

In other words, EA Sports may have founda way to get more milk from the same cow.