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Sony and Microsoft to explore strategic partnership regarding cloud-based tech for gaming & AI

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Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

Banned
Feb 10, 2018
17,534
Does this mean, they will put PS5's in azure data centres like how ms is putting xbox hardware.

I remember someone did say that industry players will be having some unexpected relationships next gen, maybe this is it.
 
Tom Nook

Tom Nook

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
15,792
pbayne said:
The Mega Powers explode brother
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ArmGunar

ArmGunar

PlayStatistician
Member
Oct 30, 2017
6,527
I wonder what kind of image sensors they will develop after Sony's investment of $5.34B in this segment
 

Deleted member 2379

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,739
christocolus said:
Nadella led MS is truly the best. Interesting article below. MS has been getting some big names onboard Azure and this will only continue.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...de-microsoft-as-world-s-most-valuable-company
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Ding ding.

People sometimes seem to forget that MS is the most valuable company in the world right now. Market cap approaching $1T.

Azure and services became the big focus for MS. At Amazon its been the cash cow, but MS has been growing like crazy and innovating and I beleive they are the number 2 player.
 

srtrestre

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,973
Probably the second most shocking news this year. Can't touch slopes in Super Mario Maker 2 tho.
 
Why would you do that?

Why would you do that?

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,801
New York City
This appears to be a similar thing as to how Netflix uses Amazon Web Services to deliver their videos. Netflix isn't partnered with Prime Video in any way, they just decide to use Amazon technology that Amazon lets anyone use.

It's interesting to read if you look at it from a PlayStation / Xbox / Nintendo rivalry angle, but it's really just looks to be Sony deciding to use Microsoft Azure technology for PlayStation, not so much Sony and Xbox teaming up.
 
Beer Monkey

Beer Monkey

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
9,308
Live is on Azure and is more reliable than PSN and a good deal faster, so good. I've been working with Azure as a cloud vendor for five years now (I'm a data architect) and am generally quite pleased and they are definitely doing great engineering.

Soprano said:
Heh. I remember when people suggested that Sony could use MS Azure service for PSnow .
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PSNow is a bit of a mess because of the need to use Cell blades, not really a good fit.
 
hmqgg

hmqgg

Member
Nov 1, 2017
221
  1. xCloud is a "white-label" service.
  2. Not only Sony, many JP devs/pubs, and ofc including western ones, consider using xCloud or rebrand it as own service.
  3. Some of those business talks even begun before 2018.
  4. To meet the requirements, we'll see the size of xCloud deployment in JP would be even close to the whole EU (maybe larger).
  5. xCloud is "mainly" based on Xbox hardwares, but those GPU instances in Azure datacenters won't stand by and do nothing, and Azure is open to partners. So xCloud is not only "XboxCloud".
 
Landy828

Landy828

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,424
Clemson, SC
Sony: Our fans say you don't have any games.

Microsoft: (shuts down PS5 Servers) Now you don't have anything either.

Microsoft and Sony: LOL, high five.
 
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61,060
hmqgg said:
  1. xCloud is a "white-label" service.
  2. Not only Sony, many JP devs/pubs , and ofc including western ones, consider using xCloud or rebrand it as own service.
  3. Some of those business talks even begun before 2018.
  4. To meet the requirements, we'll see the size of xCloud deployment in JP would be even close to the whole EU (maybe larger).
  5. xClould is "mainly" based on Xbox hardwares, but those GPU instances in Azure datacenters won't stand by and do nothing, and Azure is open to partners. So xCloud is not only "XboxCloud".
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Intresting.
 
Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,284
NinjaScooter said:
Seems like they shifted away from AWS in the last couple of years, but my point is that this kind of back end partnership doesn't necessarily conflict with other business interests. MS reason for doing this is to control as much of that back end business, even if it helps a rival service. This has nothing to do with any sort of partnership between Sony and MS' streaming game services.
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Well Netflix and Amazon Prime have only really exploded in the past few years.

I didn't suggest even once that this implies a partnership between MS and Sony's game streaming services but that it suggests MS is willing to give up some of its strategic advantage in game streaming, a completely new market which they (and others) are banking on to expand the gaming market significantly, because they think Sony as an Azure customer is more valuable, which is interesting.
 
plié

plié

Alt account
Banned
Jan 10, 2019
1,613
Microsoft are truly the best at bringing people together <3

Love this.
 
Falcon511

Falcon511

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,156
It's a smart move honestly. It allows Sony to have access to a huge infrastructure without them having to scale up on their own. It's best to have that in place while game streaming slowly grows overtime.
 
Neil98

Neil98

Member
May 2, 2018
2,044
Madrid, Spain
If this partnership grows, Microsoft could actually help Sony develop a Backwards Compatiblity solution on PS4/5 for PS3, if they haven't been doing it yet. What a win win for everybody.
 
Maximus

Maximus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,586
This is good news. Microsoft wins by getting all the server business and Sony wins by having a big server player on their side. I think Microsoft is taking a more open approach with a lot of its business and its overall positively impacting its revenue. The industry is changing and everyone is adapting to try and stay on top of it.
 
gofreak

gofreak

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,738
Window said:
I know you've been saying Sony would be building out their own cloud technology and infrastructure at Equinix and the like for some time but I honestly think that was never on the cards as a feasible option.
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Well, it was just an extrapolation of their existing model... it seemed to be more likely they'd continue on that path than to partner with Microsoft at least!

I guess they could continue leasing independently in locations where it makes sense... or even now use other public cloud providers. Although I guess it depends on the terms of this deal - it does sound like a pretty deep collaboration on the general cloud game streaming stack, and not just on a DC capacity level, so that might make other partnerships less likely. I think it's safe to say that, either way, Azure will probably be the dominant component now.

Anthony Hopkins said:
Does this mean, they will put PS5's in azure data centres like how ms is putting xbox hardware.
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Seems like it. Seems to be that - and PS4 hardware - would the only way for this to work as the dominant driver of their cloud rollout. I think MS will be happy to do that, but they might collaborate on ways to utilise that hardware in other ways also during downtimes from game service.
 
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,238
Rodjer said:
There's nothing weird lol

MS is a service provider, of course Sony would choose Azure for their cloud based streaming solution
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Business acumen is always lacking in the gaming side lol.
Memento said:
So, basically both PS5 and NextBox will use Azure for their game streaming services.

Interesting. I thought Sony would go with Amazon.

What is Microsoft's interest in Sony's semiconductors tech tho?
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Amazon is doing gaming too. Remember they bought Double Helix?
 
bsigg

bsigg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,563
Maximus said:
This is good news. Microsoft wins by getting all the server business and Sony wins by having a big server player on their side. I think Microsoft is taking a more open approach with a lot of its business and its overall positively impacting its revenue. The industry is changing and everyone is adapting to try and stay on top of it.
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This fits the Surface model. Have a first party brand that really tries to drive quality and iteration but provide their findings and such to 3rd party partners (because of Windows 10). In this case, it's providing access to the infrastructure that will be powering Xbox streaming to other companies that can't stand up server farms like MS is with Azure to make streaming viable.
 

LCGeek

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,857
Xmengrey said:
Yeah if Streaming is going to be the future I hope they offer PC options to those with gaming computers. I'd rather not be streaming on them if my PC can handle the game locally.
Microsoft is rumored to be doing that hopefully Nintendo and Sony follow suit.
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I think streaming is part of the future, a necessary one as publishers/developers need all the consumers they can get.

I'm very happy that some of the big players involved want to do various aspects right and unlike other topics of a similar nature where architecture comes up here it's about potential and MS is definitely leading with Google. Getting sony involved only speeds up the future I want which is where through such services they force ISPs to up their game, we will benefit greatly from various big coprorations pushing ISP to do a better job for our services.
 
DrDeckard

DrDeckard

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,109
UK
Am I any where close to reading this as Sony will use Microsoft servers for streaming.

So Sony bought gaikai to then pay their competitor to supply the infrastructure to stream for them. The competitor now becomes the partner. A win for all involved.
 
Ascenion

Ascenion

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,119
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
JINX said:
Spencer is part of Microsofts leadership team so he absolutely has input on this, he is the head of gaming not just Xbox. The cloud gaming division of the company is under Spencer not Azure, so any form of collaboration would involve the cloud gaming division (content creation is also under Spencer.)

EDIT: Yep
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Welp I stand corrected. Bring on the money and hopefully better PSN.
 
DSP

DSP

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,120
sony's streaming solution will basically be same as MS with a different face/content. whatever they had before goes to the bin.
 
Komo

Komo

Info Analyst
Verified
Jan 3, 2019
7,110
Not really big news beside them using azure not going to amount to really anything to be honest.
 
JINX

JINX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,473
hmqgg said:
  1. xCloud is a "white-label" service.
  2. Not only Sony, many JP devs/pubs, and ofc including western ones, consider using xCloud or rebrand it as own service.
  3. Some of those business talks even begun before 2018.
  4. To meet the requirements, we'll see the size of xCloud deployment in JP would be even close to the whole EU (maybe larger).
  5. xCloud is "mainly" based on Xbox hardwares, but those GPU instances in Azure datacenters won't stand by and do nothing, and Azure is open to partners. So xCloud is not only "XboxCloud".
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source.gif
 

Fredrik

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,003
hmqgg said:
xCloud is "mainly" based on Xbox hardwares, but those GPU instances in Azure datacenters won't stand by and do nothing, and Azure is open to partners. So xCloud is not only "XboxCloud".
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Isn't xCloud based on Windows 10 PCs? All exclusives run on PC now with better framerates, resolution, graphics, using the same controllers, online service and licenses. Seems weird to use Xboxes on the server side.
 
gofreak

gofreak

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,738
nekkid said:
Are we sure this is for PSNow and not their media streaming ambitions?
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It's clearly for game streaming, if not also other things.

"Sony is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. We collaborate closely with a multitude of content creators that capture the imagination of people around the world, and through our cutting-edge technology, we provide the tools to bring their dreams and vision to reality," said Kenichiro Yoshida, president and CEO of Sony. "PlayStation® itself came about through the integration of creativity and technology. Our mission is to seamlessly evolve this platform as one that continues to deliver the best and most immersive entertainment experiences, together with a cloud environment that ensures the best possible experience, anytime, anywhere. For many years, Microsoft has been a key business partner for us, though of course the two companies have also been competing in some areas. I believe that our joint development of future cloud solutions will contribute greatly to the advancement of interactive content. Additionally, I hope that in the areas of semiconductors and AI, leveraging each company's cutting-edge technology in a mutually complementary way will lead to the creation of new value for society."
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