Sony's been rumored to be interested in getting its own cloud streaming service for a while now, and as recently as this past E3, many had assumed that service would involve Gaikai, the cloud-streaming company that recently put itself on the market to the tune of $500 million. Well, they didn't get $500 million, but they did get $380 million, and they got it from Sony.
Sony announced the purchase this morning as a first step toward establishing "a new cloud service" for the company's various PlayStation properties. Whether or not that means the current roster of platforms (PlayStation 3, Vita) or is specifically targeted for as-yet-unannounced future tech is currently unclear. All we know is that at some point, this Gaikai business will filter into gaming on PlayStation-branded platforms in some capacity. According to SCE's Andrew House, that will include "content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices."
So, yeah, this obviously doesn't have any immediate impact for any PlayStation 3 or Vita owners right this second, but in the foreseeable future, cloud-based gaming will be coming to whatever PlayStation thing you have. Out of personal curiosity, how many of you out there even use cloud gaming services right now, anyway?