Ken Kutaragi, often called “The Father of the PlayStation”, has started Cyber AI Entertainment Inc., along with another former Sony executive. According to Nikkei.com:
The executive who oversaw the development of the PlayStation game console has established a company that will tap the latest networking technologies.
With the spread of cloud computing, he is said to be considering the development of an advanced platform for entertainment.
This is a potentially huge development for the gaming world. Kutaragi was a huge part of Sony’s success with the PlayStation. While upcoming cloud gaming services like OnLive and Gaikai have generated some interest, a service backed by the “Father of the PlayStation” would make more people take a discless console more seriously. It’s important to keep in mind that Kutaragi just started the company and reasonable conditions for cloud gaming are still years away. While I’m excited the he’s getting back into the game, I don’t expect his company to produce anything any time soon.
Let me know what you think of Kutaragi possibly getting into cloud gaming. Just for the hell of it, here’s a picture of Ken and me from a Sony party at E3 2005.
I owe him for more than a decades worth of gaming since the PS1 days. I will definitely check this service out when it becomes available.
I see the advantages of using a cloud….but honestly…isn't it just plain greed by the developers to want this kind of service?
@smartguy Why developers? If anything, it's more of a publisher issue, with publishers wanting to eliminate retailers from the equation. Certainly developers would like to gain the money they "lose" from used-game sales, but the publisher has a stake in that too.
The publishers are just as much to blame in the equation. I err'ed in not including them in my original statement.
I don't think developers or publishers have have any ground to stand on when it comes to complaining about used game sales. They put out a product, someone buys it, and they choose what happens next. It ends there.
I'd like to see a pricing model for one of these services. I honestly think that the pricing and licensing will hold services like these back rather than the mediocre broadband infrastructure in the US.