Sony’s PlayStation allows any standard PC keyboard or mouse to be plugged in (and in some games, even used!). Many of its games, like those on the PC, require installation before they game be played. It’s got an internet browser, and even allowed you to install and run Linux before the threat of piracy forced Sony to remove the feature.
It’s now becoming even more like the PC – but this time in a pretty cool way, by allowing users to purchase and pre-load games digitally.
It’s not entirely unlike Steam – which allows PC gamers to buy their games and get them installed, ready to be played as soon as the game’s been released. The first PlayStation game, says Gamasutra (via PS3ZA), to have support for the new feature will be Sorcery – a game we’re hoping will take advantage of Sony’s accurate, but horribly underutilised PlayStation Move motion controller. It’s seems pretty cool – but if one of the available weapons isn’t a half-brick-inna-sock, I’m gonna be mad.
Sorcery will be available on the PSN on May 23 – two days before the title hits retail shelves. I could see this being useful and successful – but only if the digital versions are cheaper than retail. In the end, we’ll probably end up paying more for a digital version than a physical copy; something that shouldn’t really happen if you’re cutting out the retailer middlemen.
According to PlayStation Store staffer Mike Adebajo, we can expect to see “Plenty more pretty big titles” available to pre-purchase in the future.
[Thanks to D4RKL1NG for the tip]Last Updated: May 17, 2012
