Rumor: Sony to Announce Cloud-Streaming Service for PlayStation at E3?

A post over on VG247 provides the scantest of details about what we might be able to expect from Sony’s press conference at E3 on June 4: apparently the company will be announcing a partnership with either Gaikai or OnLive. The partnership, apparently, would allow game-streaming on PlayStation hardware.

Why not, right? Sony’s in desperate need of increasing revenue after a disastrous fiscal performance this year. The idea that Sony might have cloud-streaming for its users—opening up a huge selection of games for a monthly subscription—would certainly get way more people interested where the stand-alone OnLive box couldn’t. While OnLive’s tech works decently enough, wouldn’t it be easier to partner with a gaming giant like Sony and reap the benefits of their reputation? It could be a big win for both companies if it proves to be true.

Another interesting little nugget of information that’s spilled out about Sony is that last year the company filed a patent for a way to deliver advertisements to gamers while they’re playing. While the information was first posted over on NeoGAF, Eurogamer has many of the details, explaining that when an ad is imminent, the gameplay will slow down and warn players that an ad’s about to pop up in your face. The ad happens, then the warning that the game will resume comes back, and does so. Gamers would even be able to rewind the game to the pre-ad point.

While I have a feeling that we probably won’t see this tech for quite a while in PlayStation games (if ever), it would fit in pretty well with cloud-streaming games, wouldn’t it? I mean, television is “streamed” from your provider, and they interrupt that stuff with ads all the time to help generate revenue. And if nothing else, Sony could license this technology out to try to bring more cash in. All in all, some interesting things coming out of Sony lately…

What do you think about the idea of cloud-gaming on a PS3 or Vita? What about in-game ads (okay, I know what you probably think of that one)?

Via VG247, NeoGAF, and Eurogamer