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Sony Announces Game Streaming Service

Posted by Soulskill on from the now-everything-can-run-crysis dept.

You may remember Gaikai, a company built on the idea of cloud-based gaming. The idea was that a remote server would run the game and stream all graphics and sound to a player's device, which would allow underpowered or obsolete machines to run modern, graphically demanding games on high settings. In 2012, Sony purchased Gaikai. Now, they've announced at CES that their cloud gaming tech (dubbed 'PlayStation Now') is just about ready for the public. CES attendees will be able to try it out, and Sony will begin a closed beta test in the U.S. later this month. Full release is planned for summer. It will first support streaming to PS3s, PS4s, and certain Sony TV models. Later, it will expand more broadly to various non-Sony "internet-connected devices." Players will have the option to rent games or to subscribe for continued access. Forbes reports, "According to Sony, gamers who own disc- or digital-based games will not have access to those games via PS Now free of charge."

4 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Most updated version != best by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Always play the most updated version of your game." Remove version control from my hands and I'm not sure I'll be happy with that. I've played a few games where the next version was, IMHO, inferior in some aspect I valued.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. Arcades died by tepples · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If video game publishers want pay per view, why don't they bring back arcades?

  3. Re:Latency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    *Sony engineer after reading your comment* SHIT! OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK!!! We didn't think about the latency! Dammit! *Hangs head, dusts off his resume*
    Really, if you have latency issues, it's because you have a shitty connection and should consider upgrading anyway. Don't try this using satellite internet, folks.

  4. Re:The ultimate goal: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    "Pay per shot".

    We already have that. They're called Casinos.

    A big part of the problem is that game makers (and most companies in America) are for-profit. Their whole existence is to create profit for the owner/shareholders.

    If we switched to a "break even, do what you love because you love it" model, there might be some changes...