Just prior to E3 we heard plenty of rumors that Sony Computer Entertainment had some kind of deal to allow PS3s and PS Vitas to play games like PlayStation 2 and PSOne titles via a cloud service. Further rumors indicated cloud gaming company Gaikai was just that partner to provide the digital stream-play service, but it turns out that was simply a rumor—just goes to show you shouldn’t trust everything you read, especially on the internet.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Gaikai boss David Perry said he watched Sony’s press conference from his hotel room and knew people speculated that a cloud gaming service would be announced. “No, they’re not going to announce cloud gaming,” he said.
But despite the rumors, Perry firmly believes consoles will not survive the future without embracing cloud gaming. "I honestly can’t think of a future for the console companies that don’t include cloud gaming at some point," he said.
"To give you my real take on it, I honestly can’t think of a future for the console companies that don’t include cloud gaming at some point. They can hold out as long as they want to, but at some point, you don’t want to be the console that can’t do this. To some extent, I expect all three of them will have this," he told Eurogamer.
He does not believe physical media will go away quickly, however. He said it will be a similar transition from CDs and cassette tapes to MP3s for music, and even digital photos. As for next gen consoles, he hopes Gaikai is a key player, offering cloud services for the next PlayStation and Xbox.