Cloud gaming might not count for a large part of the market right now, but there are many – including us – that believe it will be an massively important part of the future, once internet speeds have improved. Sony agrees, and is looking closely at the industry.
When rumors (now proven to be bogus) sprung up suggesting that Sony would be getting into the cloud game at E3, we were all excited about how the move could cement the console maker’s future in such turbulent times. Sadly, the rumor never came true, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t interested in cloud gaming, or aware of its potential.
Speaking to GI.biz, Scott Rohde, Sony Worldwide Studios vice president, commented on cloud gaming saying that it is “absolutely inevitable that it’s going to be a part of what everyone does.”
Continuing:
It just makes sense. And so, over the next five years, you’re going to see everything evolve to that state because people want access to their data anywhere.
However, he declined to comment on Sony’s plans, saying:
Will there be a streaming service? Will there be a partnership? I’m not going to answer those questions right now. But, like I’ve said ten times, like a broken record, the industry is always evolving.
Speaking to MCV, Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida was more candid, and said:
Cloud gaming services allow us to stream games via a server to different devices, but in order for it to become practical, the internet has to be very robust in terms of bandwidth and latency. As with all things infrastructure, it takes time for it to become widely available. Some consumers in the US and some parts of Europe have very robust and fast net speeds, so cloud gaming would be practical in those markets, but not when you look at the wider, broader global market.
Cloud gaming, because it’s so easy for consumers and is so convenient (ie you don’t have to do any big downloads, installation or setup). When there are faster internet connections, gaming in the cloud as a subscription service could become a reality.
We’re looking at what OnLive is doing, and the tech around that, and considering how this can be a part of PlayStation.
Adding that when (not if) Sony does cloud gaming, it will allow for them to reach more people:
I think when it becomes a reality, what it’d do is allow us to reach a broader audience on devices PlayStation platforms, reaching broader audiences than we currently can.
But when David Jaffe made similar comments predicting a streaming future, much of the internet grew angry at the idea and professed a deep love for physical products.
What is your opinion on cloud gaming? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
