Sony and Microsoft have recently entered a deal involving cloud server services for game streaming. However, Sony's own PlayStation division was surprised to hear about this deal.
According to a Bloomberg report, Sony and Microsoft have agreed on a deal that involves sharing cloud servers. In this deal, Sony is paying their way to have a share in Microsoft's cloud server system, Azure. Bloomberg notes that this move could be Sony's way to assure the cloud gaming end of their services in the future.
However, some PlayStation employees were surprised with this decision. None of them knew about this plan, and so they were worried that it could affect the development of their games. Bloomberg's unnamed inside sources say that the situation is under control and this deal would not affect any development inside PlayStation.
Prior to relying on Microsoft Azure for cloud gaming , Sony and PlayStation were the first to introduce cloud gaming services through PlayStation Now. Players subscribed to the platform would be able to play games even when miles away from their home consoles. However, one of its flaws is its in-house servers are prone to experiencing connection problems that ruin the game streaming experience.
As Sony relies on Microsoft for its cloud gaming, the market rivalry for these two console giants takes on a different turn. Bloomberg's report notes that Microsoft has the upper hand on business end since Sony has to pay for its cloud gaming services even though they are direct competitors in the console market. It all rests on Sony to keep earning big.
So far, Sony has better popularity than Microsoft in the console market due to its exclusive PlayStation games. While Xbox One is known for its better performance, its lack of exclusives makes customers think twice while Sony keeps releasing award-winning exclusives such as "Bloodborne" and the new "God of War." At best, this cloud gaming deal will further tighten the competition between the two companies in the console market.
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
