Streaming of all sorts of media has become incredibly popular. From Pandora to Netflix, Spotify to Hulu Plus, most of us stream some form of media every day. With the launch of PlayStation Now, gaming has joined the streaming media game.
While I really like the concept of PlayStation Now I think its implementation leaves a lot to be desired. I never owned a PlayStation 3, but there are countless exclusive titles that I want to play, but I can’t justify paying a price similar to buying the game used (since most of the games are years old) just to rent the game. Still from my experience in the beta, PSNow works quite well and I wouldn’t be shocked if I eventually give in an rent some of the bigger name games that I missed out on. For those without a PS4 or a Vita, PSNow is available on certain Sony made televisions, negating the need for consoles entirely.
Interestingly, back in September, Square Enix announced that they would be offering Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy XIII on iOS devices, through a service called Dive In. Like PlayStation Now, Dive In allows people to rent games for time periods ranging from a few days to a year. The service is currently only scheduled for release in Japan, but it is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
The rise in game streaming services poses an interesting question for the future. If these streaming services are successful, will companies expand them to include current generation games? Could they possibly refocus on the streaming so they can reduce the need for hardware in consoles, lowering cost barriers to entry? I am intrigued by the potential, but if these services continue to expand I hope that an option to purchase rather than rent will be available.