Sony Wants To Put Your Game Saves In the Cloud

itwbennett writes "Sony may be planning to have three platforms (Android devices, NGP, PS3) running PlayStation Suite content and needing access to the same saved data stored in the cloud, says blogger Peter Smith. At last week's PlayStation Meeting, game developer Hideo Kojima said his 'dream' was to offer the same game on the PS3 and the new PlayStation Portable with saves in the cloud. If Kotaku has it right, that dream may be coming in firmware version 3.6. Also, in an interview with Engadget, Sony's Jack Tretton first said that PlayStation Suite games would work on the PS3. He then retracted that comment, but it's sounding a lot like Sony just isn't ready to talk officially about plans to bring Suite content to the PS3, says Smith."

Good idea

[Hatta]

Storing game saves in on the network is a great idea. As long as they are also saved offline and are available for manual backups too. Network storage is not a substitute for offline backups.

Hopefully

[Grapplebeam]

Saves aren't automatically forced to the cloud if you're someone who will be without internet access for a time. Also, they hopefully won't use this to deter piracy by holding people's save games hostage.

Could be a decent idea

[dummondwhu]

Privacy concerns aside, it seems like a good thing if the save files are *mirrored* online. I could see the benefit of wanting to load up my game elsewhere or having them saved in the cloud when my PS3 takes a dive into the crapper (which happened to me recently). However, I would be extraordinarily pissed if I couldn't play a certain game if my internet connection flaked out or if the servers are down or something like that.

Riiight...this is going to really work...not...

[Svartalf]

Uh, what about those that don't HAVE good network access... I've recently been allowed a glimpse into the pain that many have with these idiot notions that you can simply rely on the "cloud" to get updates, demos, etc. It only sort-of works when you've got access to 3-5 Mbits/sec without caps on the bandwidth (3G networking doesn't work overly well for either unless you've got WiMax/LTE and coverage in your area...and even then, the caps cause their own sets of issues.. It only REALLY works if you've got what I've got back at home or higher, which would be 20 Mbits/sec.

Until the ISPs are on the same damn page as the companies wanting "The Cloud" it's a non-play. And that doesn't get into the OTHER problems with "The Cloud"- which would be security and reliability of the supplier in question.

Re:Hopefully

[Moryath]

Wow, you're really a hopeful type aren't you?

It sounds like they're trying to do precisely that - like earlier when Ubisoft tried to make it so your games wouldn't start if you weren't net connected and would die if you lost connection, while holding your savegames hostage.

Re:Hm

[mark72005]

They want everyone keeping all their devices connected to the online hub. This way they can control licensing, require updates, etc., more effectively than they do today.

You might like jailbreaking your console, but will you like it as much if your saved games are inaccessible? (maniacal laughter)

Re:Hopefully

[Opportunist]

You may rest assured that they ARE forced into the cloud.

This is not a feature for your convenience. It's a feature to plug the "security" hole where bogus save game files allowed the circumvention of the vendor lock in.

Never wondered why some really, really shitty games sold so well? Usually they were because the safe game routine was as crappy programmed as the rest and it didn't check that it allowed a jail break.

Re:Hopefully

[halcyon1234]

I will actually detest this, because I know their copyright fears will get in the way of my legal enjoyment.

Just this week, I tried to play a game I purchased from the PSN. It has no online interactions. Yet, because I haven't installed the latest firmware, it refuses to let me play. Same would happen if my internet was down.

Next I finally got around to remembering to backup my saved games. I tried to do Guitar Hero first. I've put several dozen hours into creating custom avatars for friends and family. Guess what-- due to "copyright concerns" or some crap like that, the playstation refuses to backup the file to a USB device.

All that because I refuse to beta-test Sony's latest firmware, or because they're afraid I'll-- do something?-- with my Guitar Hero saved games.

If my saved games end up "in the cloud", I can 100% guarantee that at some point, they will be lost, or I will be denied access to them, and will not be allowed to back them up locally.

Savegames, now a value-added product?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm all for in-the-cloud saves as an OPTION. My gripe is that how long between offering this as a free service, when cloud-saves are the de-facto standard, and when you have to start paying money to be able to load your save games? Sony, like any good business, is out to put money in their pockets. This seems like an easy way to get more money out of power gamers without irritating the casual crowd enough to affect their bottom line.

Now, give me the ability to push my saves to any server I want and just charge for the awesomeness of Sony's Save Servers, that I'm all for. But Sony has never been a company into standards or openness (see MemoryStick vs SD cards; MafiAA).