PlayStation Now’s Pricing Needs To Change If It Is To Succeed
Ever since the announcement back in 2012 that Sony would be acquiring Gaikai, a streaming service for video games, for $380 million, many anticipated how it would be implemented in the future for PlayStation products. When that service was revealed this past January as PlayStation Now, it finally offered a response to the PlayStation 4’s lack of backwards compatibility. PlayStation Now allows for the streaming of games that can be rented on PlayStation 4, 3, Vita, televisions, and mobile devices, and it’s been in a closed beta phase since January and will turn into an open beta in late July.
Perhaps the biggest issue of all is that PlayStation Now just can’t work as a rental service; it needs to be subscription based. Though outlandish to suggest that they should include PlayStation Now in for PlayStation Plus’ $50 subscription fee, it’s an option that needs to be looked at in some iteration. Granted, it IS in a beta phase. More than likely, this will not be the final price model. Additionally, it’s the game developers choosing the prices too, not Sony. Some justify the pricing with the fact that renting on PlayStation Now allows you to stream the game across your multiple devices, but it’s irrelevant if you only own one device that’s compatible. PlayStation Now is an incredible concept, and it’s something that can absolutely work flawlessly -- but unless it can work out a model that makes sense, it’s a service that’s bound for failure.