MCV are reporting that ‘Sony is close to agreeing an acquisition of a high profile cloud gaming firm.’
Rumours of cloud gaming have been rife this week and MCV suggest that Sony will acquire one of two firms very shortly, with writer Ben Parfitt tweeting that it will either be OnLive or Gaikai.
By purchasing a streaming service Sony could bring PlayStation gaming to any of their products including laptops, televisions and mobile phones.
For more on what we expect Sony to do at E3 this year, check our preview.
nofi
Gaikai then, for sure. Looks like PS4 might be interesting.
cc_star
Sony Certified devices just got interesting.
KeRaSh
Not really. Whatever they come up with can already be done with OnLive on many uncertified Android/iOS devices.
Paranoimia
I’d expect “high profile” to mean OnLive. No-one had heard of Gaikai until their spokesperson made that statement about one manufacturer not having a console in the next generation.
Even so, I still see there being a PS4 on the horizon.
cc_star
Their business has been selling their tech to publishers as a way of distribution trials more cheaply than demos & after the trial directing users to publishers website to buy a digital copy of the game. As they’ve focused more on the industry than end users it’s not surprising OnLive is more well known to end users. But TSA’s featured them since their launch.
OnLive’s business model seems a poor fit in comparison to what Sony do with PS+ and how Gaikai could fit into that.
KeRaSh
To be honest I could see OnLive’s subscription based all you can play service being integrated with a higher tiered PS+ subscription. OnLive has instant game trials too, so from a gamer perspective OnLive would be the sweeter deal.
They’re definitely more “high profile” than Gaikai.
TobaJones
To be honest I expected this, why start your own streaming service when an established company can be bought for less andthe service implemented almost immediately.
If they introduce an all-you-can-play service then I would expect to see very long queues outside Game with people cashing in on their hard copy games. I know some people prefer the physical copy but I said that about CD’s and now I can’t remember the last time I used a CD.
If Sony are planning on introducing a streaming service then I think this would hit the pre-owned market much harder than Online Pass ever did.
Bilbo_bobbins
I still buy CD’s/Blu-rays/DVDs etc. For me, I still wouldn’t buy this service unless it came with some fantastic service. Onlive at the moment just doesn’t do it for me as it is.
cc_star
As I said in the original articles, Sony need to own the experience from front to back. Licencing & being just a tool for someone else’s business aims won’t suit a platform holder if they can just go with your competitors or be advertising competitors products.
Also regardless of who owns whatever is launched at E3 if it’s anything more than what Gaikai do with full game trials I’d be very surprised obviously it will grow to a point where it will deliver games that way, but for now… trials.
TSBonyman
Gosh – you wouldn’t even need a Playstation! Very interesting indeed!
Tomhlord
Buy the tech, licences and current user base, re-brand it PlayStation and ta-dah, should be a winner.
Bilbo_bobbins
exactly, people here think too much into all this.
Jakster123x
Hmm interesting.
In unrelated news, Shuhei Yoshida reads TSA.
cam the man
Makes a lot of sense.
Scythegpd
It’s Sony, they’ll release a really promosing product with a big presentation, huge fan-fare and massive hype-inducing claims … then put out something 2 years later offering half of their original claims and provide half-assed support for it before it dwindles into another “well that was a waste of money” item.
Refer eyetoy, move, home and god knows how many other things compliments of Sony Corp
ThoughtPolice
You have just described Microsoft and Nintendo too.
Infact Sony never used to be like this, it’s Microsoft’s antics that have forced Sony’s hand to do the same.
a inferior race
Pocket playstation say hi
Omac_brother
Very exciting times.
matthangzhou
“and and MCV”. Wee typo there.