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Sony to distribute games for PlayStation 4 via cloud computing(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 -- (Kyodo) _ Sony Corp. will start distributing games for its PlayStation 4 game console via cloud computing technology this year, President Kazuo Hirai said Tuesday, displaying the electronics company's focus on the entertainment business. In his speech on the opening day of the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hirai said the streaming game service will begin late this month in the United States on a trial basis and be launched on a full scale this summer. Sony will initially distribute PlayStation 3 games for its PlayStation 3 console as well the PS4, which was launched in North America, Europe, Latin America and other countries last year. The service will be offered at a fixed rate, the Tokyo-based company said. Users of the streaming game service will be able to play games on devices that are connected to the Internet without downloading them. For example, those who played a game using PS4 in a living room can continue playing the game in their bedroom with the PS3, according to Sony. In the future, Sony plans to expand the service beyond PlayStation platforms and Sony devices like Bravia television, allowing users to play PlayStation games on other electronics devices provided by other companies. The game service utilizes the cloud computing technology of Gaikai Inc. which Sony bought in 2012, it said. The company is considering offering the service in Japan, but the timing is undecided. On sales of the PS4, Sony said cumulative sales of the device have reached 4.2 million as of Dec. 28. The console will be launched on Feb. 22 in Japan. The annual electronics show, in which more than 3,200 companies from Japan, South Korea and the United States are participating, runs through Friday and is expected to draw around 150,000 visitors. (c) 2014 Kyodo News International, Inc. |