The PlayStation 4 is Sony's next-gen console, and the company is hoping the device, which launches on Nov. 15, will represent the transition for the company from hardware manufacturer to a service provider. Shuhei Yoshida, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, recently gave an interview to Japanese website Dengeki Online, translated by Dualshockers, in which he said the Gaikai cloud streaming feature represents a major shift for the company.
"Speaking of the ultimate goal, we would like to deliver PlayStation games to all devices. So we're considering various things like PC, TVs, Blu-ray players, smartphones and tablets. We hope to continue to expand not only to Sony devices, but even to devices other than Sony's. This is still being studied...We previously spoke about PlayStation going from hardware to something closer to a service, regardless of the device - Of course PlayStation will still be the center, but I think we would like to expand to different things," said Yoshida, according to Dualshockers.
It sounds as though Sony and Yoshida are hoping that the PlayStation 4 and the Gaikai streaming service (which will not be able at release, but is scheduled to launch sometime in 2014) will begin allowing the company to release games and other content to different forms of media, ensuring players can enjoy their content wherever they go. Previously, Sony had stated that they would use Gaikai to bring PlayStation 3 titles to the PlayStation 4, giving players the chance to play older games on the console despite the fact the PlayStation 4 isn't backwards compatible.
It will be interesting to see how many players use Gaikai for the service, as well as using the streaming abilities for bringing content to their other devices such as PCs or smartphones. Sony does have the Xperia line of smartphones that could be used for the mobile aspects of Gaikai, as well as the various televisions and blu-ray players the company has put out in the past, so the market is there. If users have the necessary equipment, this could mean huge things for new games, expanding purchased content across multiple devices.
The PlayStation 4 is one of the most anticipated consoles to come out in quite some time, and along with the Xbox One from Microsoft, represents a whole new generation of consoles. Look out for more news about the next-gen consoles right here as the PlayStation 4 marches toward its Nov. 15 release date.
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