Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has branded Sony's PlayStation Now game streaming and renting service a "joke".
Speaking in the latest issue of GameInformer, Pachter said that publishers will never agree to provide games that are less than two years old for Now.
“PlayStation Now is a joke. There is no publisher that is going to license content that’s less than two years old because they would be concerned that they can’t sell as many copies if they make it available for subscription or rental.
“This has no prayer of working. None.”
Pachter believes that publishers will not want to undermine per-unit sales by making the game available for Now.
SCEA's marketing VP John Koller, however, claims that "publishers are being exceedingly bullish" on PlayStation Now's prospects. Sony has yet to reveal which third parties have agreed to support Now and to what extent.
Sony's success at inviting third parties to provide Now games will surely depend on the terms the company offers which Pachter may not have been briefed on.