PlayStation Staff Was Shocked By Sony-Microsoft Deal

We’ve reported late last week that Sony and Microsoft will be working together in order to have a cloud gaming service from PlayStation based on Azure technology.

We reported late last week that Sony and Microsoft would be working together to have a cloud gaming service from PlayStation based on Azure technology.

Weirdly enough, though, we learn today that the PlayStation staff was hugely surprised at reading about the deal being closed between the two ‘enemies.’

As reported by Bloomberg, the deal was very secretly held by the sole Sony management in Japan, and that no one outside of that tight circle was informed about it before last week.

Interestingly, says Bloomberg, the discussion between Sony and Microsoft began last year, so it took a lot of effort to keep it secret, even inside the two companies.

“Negotiations with Microsoft began last year and were handled directly by Sony’s senior management in Tokyo, largely without the involvement of the PlayStation unit, according to people familiar with the matter,” says the report.

Fun enough, once they learned about the news, PlayStation staff was hugely surprised by it and even had to be calmed down by managers as they thought it would affect plans for PS5.

“Staff at the gaming division were caught off-guard by the news. Managers had to calm workers and assure them that plans for the company’s next-generation console weren’t affected, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing private matters,” adds Bloomberg, indeed.

It might sound crazy, but sure enough, the move from Sony to not tell the news even to PlayStation workers was pivotal in letting the deal be as secret as possible.

It worked as we’ve not heard a single whisper about it before Microsoft shared the news last week, so kudos to them, and hopefully those workers will have a good time in cooperating with the American giant.

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