It’s no secret that computing is going to the cloud and Microsoft and Sony are both betting on the cloud to usher in the future of gaming. While both have a cloud strategy each company is going about it in completely different ways.
Sony’s PlayStation Now
Sony is looking to use cloud computing technology on a business to consumer front. They are creating a rental solution that will allow you the consumer to play PS3 games on your Sony TV or any Sony Gaming Consoles without the need to own a PS3 or any software. The service is called PlayStation Now and you can rent a game for a day, 7 days, or 30 Days. The games themselves run on Sony’s servers and are displayed on your TV/Vita.
Introducing PlayStation Now: http://youtu.be/GSWX30kUamA
Sony benefits two fold here. They take advantage of their extensive back catalog and turn all of its living room hardware products into potential gaming systems. Every Sony Blu-ray Player and every Sony TV now becomes a PlayStation. The rental service then becomes the Netflix’s of gaming and Sony Hardware becomes all the more tempting to consumers. While the potential is there it all depends on how well the games run and how much content Sony can push to the service.
PlayStation Now is set to be introduced this Summer first coming to Sony’s new Bravia TV line up and on the PS3 console. The service will expand from there.
Microsoft’s Power of the Cloud
Microsoft’s cloud computing strategy is more on the business to business side of things. The concept is that businesses running online games require an astonishing amount of servers to run those games. Why not pay Microsoft to run those systems on their extensive server farm so that Publishers and Developers only have to worry about making and publishing the best games possible.
In conjunction Microsoft also developed a technology that allows certain processes of a game to run on its server farm even if that game is installed in your computer or console. What that means is that games can potentially run better and smoother when they are developed to take advantage of all of Microsoft’s cloud offerings. It’s what Microsoft has coined as “The Power of the Cloud”.
Microsoft Cloud Gaming Prototype: http://youtu.be/QxHdUDhOMyw
Microsoft’s strategy is a bit less tangible to consumers as it all runs in the background. If a game runs better because it offshoots processes to the cloud it just means that hey this game runs smooth and looks great when my internet is up but looks terrible or stutters when my internet is down. It will take years until experiences are built with this technology in mind. One genre I can see jumping over is the MMO space. Imagine playing a 1000 player PvP Battle instance where there's no lag and you could actually see all players not just a select few. Microsoft’s cloud could make that happen.
The End Goal
Sony’s Strategy looks to use the cloud for games that exist while Microsoft is looking to use the cloud to create potentially new experiences. Both are geared to increasing revenue in their gaming divisions and hopefully both find success in that endeavor.
What are some of your thoughts on where cloud computing is taking gaming and which Strategy makes the most sense to you?
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