Sony Files Trademark for "PS Cloud"

Cloud computing is the big up-and-coming thing, and it seems Sony could be getting into it too if a recent trademark filing is of any indication.

Unlike a patent filing, Sony doesn’t need to describe that the trademark will apply to specifically, but only which possible goods and service sectors it would apply to. It being Sony and bearing the “PS” for PlayStation name, it’s no surprise to read one of the categories as, “ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES, NAMELY, PROVIDING AN ON-LINE VIDEO GAME THAT USERS MAY ACCESS THROUGH THE INTERNET.”

The descriptor above points straight to a cloud service, as the trademark suggests, but anything beyond that is just pure speculation. Obviously, Sony would not comment on PS Cloud.

Cloud services for desktop applications are getting into full swing, but gaming is so computationally and bandwidth intensive that a cloud solution is nearly impossible save for the Flash games on the web.

Things are changing now, though, with OnLive wowing is all with its showing at the recent Games Developers Conference. OnLive takes all of the computational and rendering away from the user and carries it offsite. Instead, OnLive relies on internet bandwidth to stream the video and audio output to the user, who in turns provides the input back to OnLive. It’s an ambitious service, and perhaps one that Sony could be considering for its next-generation console.

On the other hand, Sony has preached about its Cell Broadband Engine and its ability to network with other like-processors to form a large computing cloud. The technology is partially already on display with the Folding@home effort built into every PlayStation 3, though Sony had hyped far more ambitious applications of Cell computing.