Is Sony scared of OnLive?

I've been busy the past week and have been unable to post this question, but was hoping someone else would and I would just read the responses. Well, no one did, so I will just ask it. Is Sony scared of OnLive?

I ask this because Sony released a press statement last week stating they doubt OnLive's approach to gaming. Article can be found here. Yet, the day before they trademarked the name "PS Cloud". That article can be found here. It appears more like Sony is scared they may be missing the boat and are trying to catch up, while at the same time criticizing OnLive's business model so as to ruin the hype around it.

And if you think I am looking too much into it, we just need to turn back the clock to 1999 when the Sega Dreamcast was coming out and everyone (developers, vgame fans, and vgame journalists) were all excited about it, and Sony did everything they could to quell the hype by releasing press statement after press statement about how they were going to be coming out with a PlayStation 2 within a year of Dreamcast's release and it was going to be nothing short of vgame nirvana (Sony accomplished the release but with extreme shortages).

The thing is sometimes you have to read between the lines of what companies say. I personally think that Sony is trying to wreck the momentum of OnLive and then within a few years of OnLive's (supposed) release, come out with their own service. My friends are casual gamers, so I can't really ask them their opinion, because they don't follow vgame world as closely as us... So what do you think?

Thanks.

I think alot of people are looking at OnLive as a threat. I don't see why. IMO there is no way it's going to be viable like they hope for a long time. Even then it won't be getting rid of the enormous Console market. Sony isn't the only one looking at themthough. Even Crytek has made comments about them lately.

sony has nothing to be afraid of, onlive is not a threat to them or anyone

Onlive is a great idea!.. just not right now. JunkTrap

I agree. I keep reading about researchers and experts of cloud computing stating that it is 5 - 7 years off at least. I personally don't think that OnLive will be able to pull it off. Too soon.

Never too early to put the damper on potential competition!

Scared is way too strong a word for something so far away in the future.

Why should they be scared of an unproven product when they have so many brainwashed fanboys ready to line up and buy the PS4?

Plus Onlive is just technical snake oil.

Pay 30+ dollars for online cable service a monthand you could get onlive. Only good for college students.

I think it's OnLive who should be scared. It looks like they have good technology but what they don't have is exclusive games and that's something that Sony does very well.EmperorSupreme

Why should anyone be scared of OnLive? It's a great idea in theory, but whether or not it will be a hit remains to be seen.

Ill say this about OnLive: Anybody remember "the Phantom"?

Sony are not afraid of anything. Mainly because they live in their own little world, a world where they are still dominating everything 4EVARS. When you think about it, Sony and System Wars have a lot in common.

I think sony is treating it the same way microsoft is treating the RROD.. Just sweeping it under the rug.

Why should they be scared of an unproven product when they have so many brainwashed fanboys ready to line up and buy the PS4?

Plus Onlive is just technical snake oil.

heretrix

Why would anyone be scared of OnLive? It hasn't proven it can actually deliver what it does and that it will get all the support.Zhengi

Everyone is saying that OnLive "hasn't proven itself" and is probably "going to be a failure" and "Why would Sony care?", but Sony obviously cares (at least a little bit) if they release a press statement regarding it. I just find it almost hypocritical that they say this the day after they file a trademark for the name "PS Cloud".

My question is, I'm wondering what Sony is really up to (because this looks mighty familiar to the Dreamcast incident) and if my suspicions of them trying to sabotage OnLive are shared. Saying that "Sony doesn't care about OnLive" seems like a moot point considering that Sony commented about OnLive and therefore must care (at least a little bit).

Example: I don't talk about butterflies to my friends and they don't talk about butterflies to me. Because we don't care about butterflies.

[QUOTE="Zhengi"]Why would anyone be scared of OnLive? It hasn't proven it can actually deliver what it does and that it will get all the support.Knightbringr

Everyone is saying that OnLive "hasn't proven itself" and is probably "going to be a failure" and "Why would Sony care?", but Sony obviously cares (at least a little bit) if they release a press statement regarding it. I just find it almost hypocritical that they say this the day after they file a trademark for the name "PS Cloud".

My question is, I'm wondering what Sony is really up to (because this looks mighty familiar to the Dreamcast incident) and if my suspicions of them trying to sabotage OnLive are shared. Saying that "Sony doesn't care about OnLive" seems like a moot point considering that Sony commented about OnLive and therefore must care (at least a little bit).

Example: I don't talk about butterflies to my friends and they don't talk about butterflies to me. Because we don't care about butterflies.

[QUOTE="Knightbringr"]

[QUOTE="Zhengi"]Why would anyone be scared of OnLive? It hasn't proven it can actually deliver what it does and that it will get all the support.jjenkins78x

Everyone is saying that OnLive "hasn't proven itself" and is probably "going to be a failure" and "Why would Sony care?", but Sony obviously cares (at least a little bit) if they release a press statement regarding it. I just find it almost hypocritical that they say this the day after they file a trademark for the name "PS Cloud".

My question is, I'm wondering what Sony is really up to (because this looks mighty familiar to the Dreamcast incident) and if my suspicions of them trying to sabotage OnLive are shared. Saying that "Sony doesn't care about OnLive" seems like a moot point considering that Sony commented about OnLive and therefore must care (at least a little bit).

Example: I don't talk about butterflies to my friends and they don't talk about butterflies to me. Because we don't care about butterflies.

I agree with you. Sony HAD to comment on OnLive since they are in the same field. Just previous people who posted were saying that Sony didn't even care about OnLive. I was trying to show that of course they do because they are in competition. But either way, whatever.

The thing is, Sony willingly stated that cloud computing won't work, yet they trademarked "PS Cloud" the day before. This is how the conversation probably happened:

Mr. X - Sony, how do you feel about OnLive?

Sony - OnLive sucks! This whole cloud computing concept is not plausible. OnLive will Fail. They're just trying to rip people off!

Mr. X - Didn't you just trademark the name "PS Cloud" yesterday?

Sony - hmm... *shrugs shoulders* So? What are you getting at?

Mr. X - You say cloud computing will not work, but you trademarked a sort of cloud-computing name that is associated with your name brand yesterday. Are you anticipating taking some venture into the realm of cloud computing in the future?

Sony - "PS Cloud" could mean anything. Maybe we want to use it for a Final Fantasy VII themed PSP. Maybe we just don't want that name floating around. *starts sweating* Look, this interview is ridiculous. We (Sony) don't even really care about OnLive. Did I mention that they will rip you off?

Mr. X - O... K...

I just think that Sony is trying to reduce some of OnLive's hype. I'm not saying that Sony is turning it's sights solely to OnLive (response to "why would sony be more scared of OnLive than MS") and I'm not trying to make an angry thread (response to "What's with these "X company is scared of Y company" type threads?!?!"). I think that Sony (who probably never even considered cloud computing before) is jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon and not admitting it.

BTW, Thanks for all of you guy's opinions.

I think that if OnLive succeeds it would be a tough contender for any of the big three. If this generation has tought us anything the Top Dog and Under Dog can switch positions faily suddenly. If I were to suggest anything to a company looking for their place in the console market it would be to be unique. To answer your question: I guess Sony should be scared of everyone right now. Microsoft is beating them at their own game, and Nintendo and OnLive have their own unique niche. Sony had better be paying attention.

I think that if OnLive succeeds it would be a tough contender for any of the big three. If this generation has tought us anything the Top Dog and Under Dog can switch positions faily suddenly. If I were to suggest anything to a company looking for their place in the console market it would be to be unique. To answer your question: I guess Sony should be scared of everyone right now. Microsoft is beating them at their own game, and Nintendo and OnLive have their own unique niche. Sony had better be paying attention.

Svarthek

Yes. I agree. This is probably the most intelligent, unbiased answer so far.

[QUOTE="Svarthek"]

I think that if OnLive succeeds it would be a tough contender for any of the big three. If this generation has tought us anything the Top Dog and Under Dog can switch positions faily suddenly. If I were to suggest anything to a company looking for their place in the console market it would be to be unique. To answer your question: I guess Sony should be scared of everyone right now. Microsoft is beating them at their own game, and Nintendo and OnLive have their own unique niche. Sony had better be paying attention.

jjenkins78x

[QUOTE="heretrix"]

Why should they be scared of an unproven product when they have so many brainwashed fanboys ready to line up and buy the PS4?

Plus Onlive is just technical snake oil.

jjenkins78x

Oh and I think I have a PS3 also. I can play the Blu-ray's and there's something called PSN that shows up on my TV periodically. Do Bravias have built in PS3s? And that PS2 that I'm playing Persona 4 on (which I LOVE BTW) must be my imagination. And the PSP that I carry to work (The one I thought I bought on launch day, nah it isn't that one, it's the OTHER PSP that I bought (PSP slim) that I THINK I have..

That Sony Dream Theater system in my bedroom? Meh, that's cardboard. I hate Sony so much that my friggin house is filled with their products. :|

As for my PS4 comment:

You are a brainwashed fanboy if you are pledging to buy a product years before it's even developed.

Owning a lot of Sony products apparently doesn't stop a person, if a person were so inclined, from trashing them at every opportunity and making broad generalizations about people who own their products... even if said person was also an owner of said products. jjenkins78x