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Microsoft & Sony sitting in a tree...

Cyhwuhx

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Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

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Sony and Microsoft to explore strategic partnership

May 16, 2019 | Microsoft News Center

 

Companies to collaborate on new cloud-based solutions for gaming experiences and AI solutions

Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO, Sony Corporation (left), and Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

 

TOKYO and REDMOND, Wash. — May 16, 2019 — Sony Corporation (Sony) and Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) announced on Thursday that the two companies will partner on new innovations to enhance customer experiences in their direct-to-consumer entertainment platforms and AI solutions.

 

Under the memorandum of understanding signed by the parties, the two companies will explore joint development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services. In addition, the two companies will explore the use of current Microsoft Azure datacenter-based solutions for Sony’s game and content-streaming services. By working together, the companies aim to deliver more enhanced entertainment experiences for their worldwide customers. These efforts will also include building better development platforms for the content creator community.

 

As part of the memorandum of understanding, Sony and Microsoft will also explore collaboration in the areas of semiconductors and AI. For semiconductors, this includes potential joint development of new intelligent image sensor solutions. By integrating Sony’s cutting-edge image sensors with Microsoft’s Azure AI technology in a hybrid manner across cloud and edge, as well as solutions that leverage Sony’s semiconductors and Microsoft cloud technology, the companies aim to provide enhanced capabilities for enterprise customers. In terms of AI, the parties will explore incorporation of Microsoft’s advanced AI platform and tools in Sony consumer products, to provide highly intuitive and user-friendly AI experiences.

 

“Sony is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. We collaborate closely with a multitude of content creators that capture the imagination of people around the world, and through our cutting-edge technology, we provide the tools to bring their dreams and vision to reality,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, president and CEO of Sony. “PlayStation® itself came about through the integration of creativity and technology. Our mission is to seamlessly evolve this platform as one that continues to deliver the best and most immersive entertainment experiences, together with a cloud environment that ensures the best possible experience, anytime, anywhere. For many years, Microsoft has been a key business partner for us, though of course the two companies have also been competing in some areas. I believe that our joint development of future cloud solutions will contribute greatly to the advancement of interactive content. Additionally, I hope that in the areas of semiconductors and AI, leveraging each company’s cutting-edge technology in a mutually complementary way will lead to the creation of new value for society.”

 

“Sony has always been a leader in both entertainment and technology, and the collaboration we announced today builds on this history of innovation,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. “Our partnership brings the power of Azure and Azure AI to Sony to deliver new gaming and entertainment experiences for customers.”

 

Going forward, the two companies will share additional information when available.

 

https://news.microsoft.com/2019/05/16/sony-and-microsoft-to-explore-strategic-partnership/

 

The what now?! Did not see that coming... :blink:

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Mars

Mars

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Nice. This sort of stuff is exciting, we then also have cross play and all of that fun stuff that Nintendo are involved in too. So you could potentially play a game on a Switch (2?) that is part of a collaboration with Xbox live/azure that in turn means its leveraging Sony tech. Where hardware and tech goes, will software follow? Could we conceivably see one box as a hardware collaboration between at least MS/Sony in a few generations? Allows them

to consolidate core competencies and have more resource to focus on building more sustainable game production. It would get around regional demand fluctuation, e.g. Microsoft suffer in Japan, so 1 box that Sony markets and that MS studios make games for could be an idea. And also, re: competition...

 

The comments in here about Stadia, Amazon, Netflix, Apple causing pants to be shat are spot on. ‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend’ -  The message is clear, we are the companies that make Games with a capital G, but we’ll take some streaming to the consumer personal phone/communication hardware, in some form, and also standalone games for certain IPs in certain genres. Also the integration of Apple/Android experiences in the form of watching streamers, companion/map and communication apps, a nice little revenue stream for IAPs as well, touch of a finger away, not a storefront that takes you out of the gameplay on your main screen. I think Nintendo took a lot of unfair flack for their voice solution.  Done well, offloading that sort of stuff to a native device makes a lot of sense. Of course, they cocked it up, but Sony and Microsoft should nail a better experience that takes advantage of automatic pairing, home network, voice, etc. 

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Fused gamer

Fused gamer

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Just now, Boozy The Clown said:

So which one's bending the knee ? Who's "taking the L" ? Which group of fanbois get to slag the other over this ? I'm assuming the distinct lack of replies in here answers these very important questions.

 

Why does it have to sink to that? It's one company using someone else's. As someone said here - Netflix uses Amazon technology. And not a shit is given.

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Uncle Mike

Uncle Mike

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15 minutes ago, Boozy The Clown said:

There's a Netflix vs Amazon console war ?

 

I think it's more that people just don't understand the nature of bigger businesses. There's nothing in that announcement that says it'll do anything other than have Sony work really closely with the Azure part of MS to make it work better for streaming and cloud gaming stuff. It doesn't imply any of the things I assume people are writing (actually, I guess they'll be hour-long videos) all over the place of playing Gears of War on the PS5 or vice versa. 

 

Competitors regularly co-operate where they can make money.

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JPL

JPL

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30 minutes ago, Cyhwuhx said:

I'd love for this to come together in a unified game-format a la Blu-ray/DVD (or whatever counts for streaming) and such. Might still be a ways off though.

I’ve been asking for this for years. One box under the TV (or one streaming service if it takes off) for any game I want to play would be the perfect solution for me.

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PaB

PaB

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5 minutes ago, Uncle Mike said:

 

I think it's more that people just don't understand the nature of bigger businesses. There's nothing in that announcement that says it'll do anything other than have Sony work really closely with the Azure part of MS to make it work better for streaming and cloud gaming stuff. It doesn't imply any of the things I assume people are writing (actually, I guess they'll be hour-long videos) all over the place of playing Gears of War on the PS5 or vice versa. 

 

Competitors regularly co-operate where they can make money.

Exactly this.

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MattyP

MattyP

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47 minutes ago, Uncle Mike said:

 

I think it's more that people just don't understand the nature of bigger businesses. There's nothing in that announcement that says it'll do anything other than have Sony work really closely with the Azure part of MS to make it work better for streaming and cloud gaming stuff. It doesn't imply any of the things I assume people are writing (actually, I guess they'll be hour-long videos) all over the place of playing Gears of War on the PS5 or vice versa. 

 

Competitors regularly co-operate where they can make money.

 

Indeed... In the end MS don't just make games consoles its another thing they do. Sure *shock* Sony will use MS Windows / Office  in their business too... :) Sony will just be another client to MS using its Azure services - just like companies choose different broadband suppliers etc.

 

Use Azure here for a few things - its very slick and works well.

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SozzlyJoe

SozzlyJoe

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6 hours ago, Boozy The Clown said:

So which one's bending the knee ? Who's "taking the L" ? Which group of fanbois get to slag the other over this ? I'm assuming the distinct lack of replies in here answers these very important questions.

 

Well, if you want to be all reductive about it, "Playstation" appears in the statement, and "XBox".. does not.

 

:sherlock:

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mushashi

mushashi

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Seems a very broad and mildly vague goal they've announced. Sony get to possibly open new markets for their sensor and semiconductor businesses (surprised they still do that one actually considering how expensive that game is), while Microsoft get to push Azure into a major potential client and get to be the preferred cloud/AI provider for the potential semiconductor/cloud mash-up.

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Robo_1

Robo_1

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I wonder if it's got anything to do with teaming up to deliver cloud gaming next gen. Seen as both Sony & MS's next consoles will likely be built using similar tech, I wonder if they're planning on building a single spec machine which could spin up virtual PS5 / XB2 consoles based on demand. Would likely save the pair of them a ton of cash and with MS owning the network and Sony owning a ton of cloud gaming patents, (Sony acquired both cloud gaming pioneer On Live & Dave Perry's rival service, Gaikai) it would seem like they could both benefit from each others expertise and assets.

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mushashi

mushashi

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I think people are generally getting way, way ahead of themselves on this. You look at the language and terms used repeatedly throughout the official text and you don't come away with "OMG, the Xbox-PlayStation is happening" or cloud variants of that idea.

 

memorandum of understanding and multiple uses of explore and potential indicates this announcement is the business equivalent of them saying they are going on a first date, but most people have already leapt to them announcing both inevitable marriage and the birth of their first child :P

 

It might eventually end up in some co-op end game or they'll realise they are actually China/US.

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Petrousgyre

Petrousgyre

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Far as I can make out Sony need data centres all over the world, makes no sense to build them as it's not their core business. They'd have looked at Google, AWS and Microsoft and picked MS based mostly on cost I'd imagine. Don't see what Sony bring to this party, what on earth are MS going to do with Sony's image sensors or image processing hardware? 

 

Strikes me that their respective marketing teams have spun it as an exciting joint venture because that's what marketing people do and perhaps because they know how hysterical a small but highly vocal proportion of their customers are, selling it as a collaborative thing rather than the mundane reality of Sony renting some server space from MS might have been their way of placating their more fevered fans who, regardless, still seem desperate to see this as a 'win' or 'loss' in their mind-numbing bubble.

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Robo_1

Robo_1

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19 hours ago, petrolgirls said:

Don't see what Sony bring to this party, what on earth are MS going to do with Sony's image sensors or image processing hardware?

 

As I mentioned earlier, I'd wager that Sony have a lot of very crucial cloud gaming patents sewn up, given their early purchase of the two pioneers in this field. Sony also have a fair amount of experience in cloud gaming now, with Playstation Now being a mature service, so given Sony's IP and MS's server network, it makes sense for both groups to collaborate on their cloud gaming ambitions rather than compete and save the duplicate of effort and expense, especially with Google looking to take a slice of the pie.

The sensors thing seems non-game related. Reading the presser, it seems it's more of a union of Sony's sensors with MS's AI:

 

Quote

Sony and Microsoft said they will potentially develop new image sensor chips that use Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology for business customers. The two companies did not specify how the chips would be used.

 

Intelligent cameras are currently being used in applications such as spotting defective items coming off manufacturing lines with greater accuracy than human inspectors. 

Sony and Microsoft said they would explore how to use Microsoft’s AI tools in Sony’s consumer products “to provide highly intuitive and user-friendly AI experiences.”

 

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Petrousgyre

Petrousgyre

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1 hour ago, Robo_1 said:

 

As I mentioned earlier, I'd wager that Sony have a lot of very crucial cloud gaming patents sewn up, given their early purchase of the two pioneers in this field. Sony also have a fair amount of experience in cloud gaming now, with Playstation Now being a mature service, so given Sony's IP and MS's server network, it makes sense for both groups to collaborate on their cloud gaming ambitions rather than compete and save the duplicate of effort and expense, especially with Google looking to take a slice of the pie.

 

 

I'll cheerfully concede my understanding of this stuff is by no means authoritative but far as I know game streaming isn't an especially complex issue, the problems are all well understood and the limitations are mostly logistical, ie distance to server - or, aren't going to change anytime soon, ie the delays incurred encoding video. Certainly Google seems to have built a capable streaming service having had no real previous experience in this area and without access to whatever meaningful patents Sony have. I'd be surprised if Microsoft, with their expertise in gaming, servers and networks couldn't easily replicate that without Sony's help.

 

Where you can see an benefit, hopefully, is for gamers. Having both Xbox and PlayStation network infrastructure sitting on the same underlying service means that there'll be no excuse for not fully implementing cross-play whilst introducing almost no additional latency. In fact there's almost no reason that developers couldn't use the same server application for online play for both PlayStation and Xbox.

 

Outside of that, the rest of their spiel seemed quite vague and nebulous, I guess we'll see how much of it comes to fruition. 

 

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