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Sony close to agreeing cloud gaming acquisition
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Always-honest
Banned
not afraid, but not everything new and amazing in tech is automaticly better than what we had before.
fluffydelusions
Member
The PS4 is a TV confirmed
thehillissilent
Member
Sony buying either OnLive or Gaikai has major implications for both of those companies in addition to what was already discussed about Sony Customers:
OnLive:
What will happen to current OnLive customers and their game catalog?
What will happen to OnLive desktop and their customers (individual users and buinesses)?
Will Sony help OnLive with content acquisition from major publishers (EA, Activision, Bethesda)?
Will OnLive still be featured on Google TV?
Will OnLive be renamed to be under Sony umbrella?
What will Microsoft think since OnLive (and other cloud gaming services) is heavily dependant on Microsoft Windows?
Will OnLive now stream Playstation exlusives to non-Playstation equipment (PC, microconsole, TV) or just Sony equipment?
Will OnLive radically expand datacenters to combat lag and the heavy load that will come as part of this buyout?
Gaikai:
What will happen to current Gaikai partnerships with their customers: publishers/developers/retailers and TV manaufacturers like LG?
What will happen to deals with Gaikai affiliate websites that currently host demos?
Will this interupt Gaikai's current deals with casinos and the military?
Will Sony help Gaikai with content acquisition?
Will Gaikai still be allowed to create white-labelled cloud gaming services for retailers and TV manufacturers?
Will Gaikai be renamed to be under Sony umbrella?
What will Microsoft think since Gaikai (and other cloud gaming services) is heavily dependant on Microsoft Windows?
Will Gaikai now stream Playstation exclusives to non-Playstation equipment (PC, microconsole, TV) or just Sony equipment?
Will Gaikai expand to even more datacenters to combat lag and the heavy load that will come as part of this buyout?
OnLive:
What will happen to current OnLive customers and their game catalog?
What will happen to OnLive desktop and their customers (individual users and buinesses)?
Will Sony help OnLive with content acquisition from major publishers (EA, Activision, Bethesda)?
Will OnLive still be featured on Google TV?
Will OnLive be renamed to be under Sony umbrella?
What will Microsoft think since OnLive (and other cloud gaming services) is heavily dependant on Microsoft Windows?
Will OnLive now stream Playstation exlusives to non-Playstation equipment (PC, microconsole, TV) or just Sony equipment?
Will OnLive radically expand datacenters to combat lag and the heavy load that will come as part of this buyout?
Gaikai:
What will happen to current Gaikai partnerships with their customers: publishers/developers/retailers and TV manaufacturers like LG?
What will happen to deals with Gaikai affiliate websites that currently host demos?
Will this interupt Gaikai's current deals with casinos and the military?
Will Sony help Gaikai with content acquisition?
Will Gaikai still be allowed to create white-labelled cloud gaming services for retailers and TV manufacturers?
Will Gaikai be renamed to be under Sony umbrella?
What will Microsoft think since Gaikai (and other cloud gaming services) is heavily dependant on Microsoft Windows?
Will Gaikai now stream Playstation exclusives to non-Playstation equipment (PC, microconsole, TV) or just Sony equipment?
Will Gaikai expand to even more datacenters to combat lag and the heavy load that will come as part of this buyout?
Worked for Blizzard
fluffydelusions
Member
The real question is can Sony afford for thing to fail (if the rumor is true that is)
Sony have plenty of software that run on Windows
ClovingWestbrook
Banned
How many times does this have to be said? Blizzard is a special case. It didn't work for Ubisoft since they're no longer requiring always on DRM for many of their games. Just because it worked for Blizzard games doesn't mean its working for everyone else and its not.
but also can they afford for it to succeed in the hands of another company?
I guess that can be a benefit, but I don't think I'm the target market for streaming gaming. I don't find it interesting to play games streamed that I could play local and better.
6 months might be too soon, but I'd argue streaming content is more important for people who don't own your hardware versus those who do.
Haha, yes, much better than my old one. Now I just need to stay out of the off topic political thread for the Walker reelection!
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Sony has already spoken many a times about unifying everything. It'll probably for TV...and consoles....and tablets....and everything that can possibly run it.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303640104577436261084921778.html#
The fact they were considering it at this point in time makes me give more credence to something big like this actually happening.
The fact they were considering it at this point in time makes me give more credence to something big like this actually happening.
MeBecomingI
Member
This is why I think that the rumour of this being an acquisition is a little too far out. There are just far too many implications for any acquisition of either of these companies for it to be feasible at this point in time.
I think that if anything this is a "strategic partnership" with one of the two. The amount of unique contracts that GaiKai is working on would be huge for Sony should they somehow acquire the company, but I see GaiKai being fairly firmly planted in a position of independence because of those very same contracts. I suspect the deal will be GaiKai because they can actually provide the tools to Sony for streaming, but at the same time, I see OnLive struggling against GaiKai and Sony could have seen that as a chance to purchase and integrate into the PlayStation.
I think at E3, with the partnership of either OnLive or GaiKai, we'll see two models of Plus (that I would like to see only differ in price and streaming options) should they revamp assuming the rumour is true.
PlayStation Plus... $59.99 - Play any game at any time for as long as you want for the length of the duration of the subscription.
PlayStation Plus... $19.99 - Play any game at any time for a length of one hour with the option to purchase and download directly to your console for the duration of the subscription. Once purchased, the game is yours forever.
Of course, I see each game having a demo now that you can simply stream over the Store or download as is the usual right now for everyone.I think depending on how things go, any partnership or acquisition for either OnLive or GaiKai is huge for Sony going forward. No other console can provide that type of streaming, so it would at least differentiate Sony. Although I would be surprised if it was an acquisition given Sony's recent business trouble, but perhaps a purchase is exactly what they need.
I think a lot of people had the idea to suddenly sign up for PS+. I couldn't find a 3 month card anywhere this last weekend.
And yeah, the general naysaying is predictable. One moment we want a DD future, then a company takes a step towards that, and suddenly Cloud is awful, joke, etc all because it isn't someone's corporation of choice. Meh.
I prefer retail too, but it isn't a one or the other thing. In the long run, Cloud gaming catching on benefits everyone. I'll be surprised if MS with their service fetish doesn't already have some plans.
And yeah, the general naysaying is predictable. One moment we want a DD future, then a company takes a step towards that, and suddenly Cloud is awful, joke, etc all because it isn't someone's corporation of choice. Meh.
I prefer retail too, but it isn't a one or the other thing. In the long run, Cloud gaming catching on benefits everyone. I'll be surprised if MS with their service fetish doesn't already have some plans.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
I'm jumping on PS+ for three months in case this is true.
But it means it *can* work.
But it means it *can* work.
Karak
Member
I haven't seen almost any of that. The posts are mostly around streaming gaming. Cloud is not the same thing nor is DD. Streaming isn't the same as downloading a full game to your system and not dealing with the internet issues of lag and such. I like both online services that offer this. Its for sure a future I can see. But CURRENTLY there are so many issues.
thehillissilent
Member
At this point, I'd rather it be a "partnership" between Sony and Gaikai, and not a flat-out acquisition. I remember that David Perry (CEO) had stated in an interview in January that they have had many offers from different suitors to buy Gaikai, but he wanted the company to remain neutral
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/27/head-in-the-cloud-dave-perry-disrupts/
Why not wait for the announcement ?
ClovingWestbrook
Banned
Sure, if you are releasing Diablo. It may work if you're Activision and Call of Duty. It won't work if you're not releasing a hall mark of the industry.
dummydecoy
Member
Do what u must Sony, but make sure the next Uncharteds and Killzones still get released on discs. I WANT MY PHYSICAL COPIES!
Maybe i'm optimist, but i think that nothing (too)bad will happen to them, here's what i think:
No name change, at max sony onlive/gaikai.
Sony will increment for sure the number of deals with major publishers.
Sony will integrate onlive/gaikai in every sony hardware(tv, bluray reader, pc, consoles etc).
Playstation games only on playstation consoles, everything else get pc games.
yankeehater
Member
If they really considered it for more then 1 second they are nuts. One day it might work worldwide but we are a long way from that happening.
Gaikai's library consists of about 10 demos. How is that better than a library of over 200 full games?
thehillissilent
Member
Gaikai is expanding into full game streaming (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ming-streaming-coming-to-gaikai-within-months). They have over 30 demos now and about 30 additional games in testing. Also, Gaikai has deals with TV manufactuers, the military, and casinos. Also, most of OnLive catalog with the exception of about 50 games is very underwheleming.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Best news I've heard all day.
I jumped in for 3 months as well, signs seem to be pointing to benefiting from the announcement by being a subcriber prior to it being made.
obviously both services are going to improve. But this is like saying Nintedno network is looking to catch up with Live.
thehillissilent
Member
Also, Gaikai is a B2B company. They make white-labeled services for others in addition to their demo service. Also, Gaikai uses PC games out of the box while OnLive has to port PC games to their SDK which require manpower especially with multiplyer focused titiles. Gaikai can aquire content a lot faster than OnLive because of this.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ming-streaming-coming-to-gaikai-within-months
dinosaur_hunter2
Member
Basically this.
However, it could mean that Sony would start to sell PC games, but I don't know if it would make any sense.
Boss Man
Member
Honestly, the potential uses for this are endless. There's simply no telling what we might see as a result of this technology. You're replacing hardware with an Internet connection.
However, I expect it will be somewhat limited for the first ~2 years. People mentioning lag have a point, but it's a short-sighted one. It won't be long before we're in the right place to really start getting use out of something like this.
For PS3, it'll mean some neat new stuff (like streaming demos, BC, things in that vein). By the time PS4 rolls out, this technology will be offering a lot of nice features. Give it a couple of years of updates, and we won't be able to imagine coming back.
However, I expect it will be somewhat limited for the first ~2 years. People mentioning lag have a point, but it's a short-sighted one. It won't be long before we're in the right place to really start getting use out of something like this.
For PS3, it'll mean some neat new stuff (like streaming demos, BC, things in that vein). By the time PS4 rolls out, this technology will be offering a lot of nice features. Give it a couple of years of updates, and we won't be able to imagine coming back.
I actually prefer Sony to Microsoft and PS3 to the Xbox 360 any day of the week. I simply don't see the appeal of cloud gaming over buying a disk or even downloading a game. As streaming a game affects the quality, you have to be online and you don't actually own anything.
I love Sony, I really do. But that does not mean that I have to be a fanboy of every single decision they make. That said, I will wait and see where this goes. If it turns out that it works reasonably well and the games are cheaper, then I will probably give it a go on select titles. If it ends up being a part of Playstation Plus, where I can stream all the games I want as a part of the subscription, then I will likely bite. But I will always prefer owning a copy of my game, whether it be physical or digital.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
It is going to be a LOT more than 2 years until the United States is in the "right place" to really take advantage of this, as the internet infrastructure isn't really advancing as quickly as we'd like.
ClovingWestbrook
Banned
Not happening. Sorry. You're not going to find World of Warcraft, Diablo, Half Life 1-2, Civilization, Arma II on Playstation services just because of this. Just because a service may be able to stream a game doesn't mean that they don't require a license to do so from the developer/publisher. Your PS3/Vita isn't going to become a PC gaming station.
Infinite Justice
Member
Wow i expected a partnership deal given the rumors going around but an actual acquisition? Very intriguing
Level load times would take forever. Games that stream geometry off the disk simply wouldn't work.
Except this could work for PS1 games, since the optical drive in the original was only 300 KB/s (or about 2.4Mb/s) . I think even the PS2 drive was in the 5 MB/s range, which is too much for most home connections (works out to around 40 Mbs).
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Right, looks like there will be something for current members. I was wanting to test it out anyway. After some silliness with PSN and random errors I got signed up.
ShinobiFist
Banned
In theory, this sounds very interesting.
of the gaming business if this is true.
of the gaming industry if this is true. If its only for the onlive stuff it would be a great gimmick. but for the ps4?...forget about it.
Bingo.
This 'cloud gaming' stuff is really nothing more than a return to the days of 'dumb' terminals connected to a central mainframe that does all the actual computing. We abandoned that model decades ago, for good reason.
Why are some of you so gung-ho to put complete control over the games you own in the hands of a remote server somewhere, where outages, net congestion, and the streaming company closing shop and taking your games with them are all concerns?
It really wouldn't be a good thing for consumers in the long run if cloud-based apps and games became the new norm.
Dreams-Visions
Member
This...I don't know if this is a good idea.
Causing the quality of enjoyment people have with your product to be limited by some other service (in this case, internet service providers) seems a dangerous direction for someone like Sony to go in.
I've seen a lot of threads about slow internet services, bandwidth caps, etc. I've also read enough about OnLive to know that it's a cool service but one that has latency issues that can't be overcome in countries where the average internet connection is still relatively slow.
idk...maybe I'm wrong here. To me, this simply doesn't seem like the direction main-stream gaming wants or needs to go in. It feels unwise and unnecessary for a major console.
Causing the quality of enjoyment people have with your product to be limited by some other service (in this case, internet service providers) seems a dangerous direction for someone like Sony to go in.
I've seen a lot of threads about slow internet services, bandwidth caps, etc. I've also read enough about OnLive to know that it's a cool service but one that has latency issues that can't be overcome in countries where the average internet connection is still relatively slow.
idk...maybe I'm wrong here. To me, this simply doesn't seem like the direction main-stream gaming wants or needs to go in. It feels unwise and unnecessary for a major console.
correct.
Grampa Simpson
Banned
PS4 is Gaikai. PS4 is also a downloadable free update to the PS3.
PS4 is Ninety Nine US Dollars!
PS4 is Ninety Nine US Dollars!
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Having access to hundreds upon hundreds of older PS1/PS2/PS3 titles on the fly all built into some kind of PS+ package is bad how exactly?
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