Last week we reported on Sony and Microsoft collaborating on AI, streaming technology, and more, and it's safe to say that this came as a bit of a surprise considering their rivalry regarding the PlayStation and Xbox brands. It turns out that this also came as a surprise to those on the PlayStation team as well, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
A spokesperson from Sony said that talks had begun with Microsoft last year, and tomorrow we can expect PlayStation head Jim Ryan to update shareholders during the annual investor day, which may well touch upon the partnership.
According to alleged insider sources, negotiations were handled by Sony senior management out of Tokyo, and the PlayStation team wasn't involved, meaning they were just as surprised by the news as the rest of the world. Managers allegedly had to reassure PlayStation workers regarding next-gen plans, which are reportedly unaffected.
This collaboration has gotten a lot of people talking about what this means for the future, since these two are fierce competitors in the gaming space. That said, Microsoft's Azure cloud technology may help Sony with its own efforts, since PlayStation Now isn't the most popular streaming service, and Microsoft is working on its own xCloud service too.
We'll have to see what happens in the future, but with rumours of a PS5 reveal coming this year, Xbox being left at E3 while Sony is absent, and plenty at stake, it should be a very interesting 2019 for these big players.
Were you surprised by the news too?