If you’ve ever thought about starting your own dedicated server rental business (like I was until today), prepare to be disappointed.

Verizon will soon be releasing the final version of its PlayLinc service. According to the PlayLinc website:

PlayLinc is a next-generation, online game browsing and messaging platform that gives gamers more control over their multiplayer gaming interactions, a richer set of social networking tools and a wider variety of gaming experiences than has ever before been available.

Among the features gamers can take advantage of on the PlayLinc platform will be support for a variety of gaming platforms (PC & Console Games), messaging tools including IM (Fully Integrated with AIM and ICQ) and VoIP, dynamic server launching, server browsing, team management, buddy tracking, player invitations, game management and information, on-game controls and more.

Whoa wait… did anyone else notice this: “support for a variety of gaming platforms (PC & Console Games)”? So… how exactly will Console Games be supported? Could this be a springboard to invading the Xbox Live market? Could this be the backbone of a new Sony or Nintendo online service platform? Who knows, but considering the (non-free) crapfest that is “Gamespy Arcade” something like PlayLinc is SORELY needed… and it’s free (as in beer)!

Stay tuned to Aeropause as I will likely be reviewing the PlayLinc service in coming days… assuming I can tear myself away from Dead Rising, that is.

| more | via Ars Technica