All we hear about lately is cloud streaming, and how it will be a big deal going forward. We have, allegedly, companies such as Apple, Google, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Microsoft all investing in it. Sony, meanwhile, has PlayStation Now, which is doing great on its own as well.
When so many companies are investing in cloud gaming, you have to assume that it’s going to be the Next Big Thing™, right? Everyone can’t be wrong about it, surely. However, Sony’s CFO Hiroki Totoki spoke about the prospect of cloud streaming versus consoles on Sony’s quarterly results financial call (via Twinfinite), where he expressed his skepticism that consoles would be overtaken by the cloud any time soon.
Responding to an investor’s question about possible future risks to Sony’s business, Totoki said that he foresees cloud streaming as eventually making the need for physical hardware for games redundant. However, he said that this is a long term problem, and should not pose any issues in the here and now.
Basically, if cloud streaming is to take off, it will be with a long term view, not right now. I suppose other companies that are investing in it right now are doing so to get a head start.
