Traditional next-gen consoles are here in the form of the PS4 and Xbox One. We’re also seeing newcomers like the SteamBox enter the market courtesy of Valve Software. Yet, nothing seems quite next-gen about any of these things. Sure, graphics are better on the consoles and the SteamBox has a Microsoft Windows-free OS. But I don’t feel anything like how I felt when the Nintendo 64 first hit the market in 1996. Nearly 20 years later and we’ve had several iterative steps towards smoother gameplay, better physics and more dense textures in-game. Finally, Sony has announced what I feel is the first major jump for industry since Nintendo’s Project Revolution became the Wii – and the definition of a “gamer” changed forever.
Today at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, NV, Sony President Andrew House announced PlayStation Now. With this new service, older games from the complete history of PlayStation’s existence will presumably be playable on the PS Vita, PS3, PS4 and even Bravia-line televisions. Although not slated for release until the summer, demos of several games are already playable at CES. In roughly 18 months since purchasing Gaikai, Sony have redeployed the service to quickly make a dent your wallet. This shows Sony’s commitment to reclaiming the title of gaming industry king.
This is a major step as we finally have a working example of cloud-computing asserting itself in the industry. If executed correctly, gamers can play games like The Last of Us from anywhere they have an internet connection and an acceptable device. This also presents an opportunity to monetize previously released titles such (titles to be announced soon).
So go get your PS Vita now!