Sony Computer Entertainment has bought cloud-based gaming company Gaikai for $380 million. The announcement, previously rumored to be made at E3, suggests the possible inclusion of the technology on the PlayStation 3 and future Sony consoles. It could also signal the possible inclusion of games from the Sony Computer Entertainment back catalog on Gaikai.
Sony appears to be either preparing its own cloud gaming service or aware of the trend and looking to take advantage of it sometime soon. Speaking with GamesIndustry International during E3, Sony Worldwide Studios vice president Scott Rohde said the company recognizes that cloud gaming "just makes sense," and that cloud services in general are "absolutely inevitable." Rohde wouldn't delve into specifics, but he did say that the next five years should see the cloud emerging as a dominant force in virtually all computing sectors.
Sony is rumored to be in deep-level talks to buy out a well-known cloud gaming company, MCV learned, though exactly which one isn't known. The official announcement is expected to be made at the E3 gaming show next week, according to earlier reports. The deal "is close to being signed," according to MCV's source, who isn't being identified.
Streaming game service Gaikai, which teamed up with Walmart last year on browser-based game demos, is back in the news. This time around, it has partnered with electronics manufacturer Wikipad to bring its games to an Android-based tablet. The tablet has grown to include a 10.1-inch screen rather than the 8.1-inch version when it was shown off at CES.
Gaikai is reportedly collaborating with Walmart to bring live game streaming to the retailer's website. The Game Center section of Walmart.com will allows visitors to play select games directly from a browser, without requiring users to download any files, sign up for subscription services, or wait for data-heavy content to load.
Driven by fears of its developing an unassailable monopoly, big games retailers in the UK have said they will boycott selling games that support the Steam digital games distribution platform. According to a Thursday MCV report, retailers' concerns are growing that selling games with Steam will bring gamers to buy games using the download service exclusively. It;s estimated the US studio Valve that runs Steam commands 80 percent of the PC download market.
Gaikai is reportedly set to launch its streaming game platform by the end of the year, as the private beta is already feature complete. Company head Dave Perry suggests the service will skip past a public beta and move right to a formal introduction, which is expected sometime by mid-December, according to an interview with VG247.
Game streaming platform Gaikai has just announced two new partners in Intel and Limelight Networks. While details weren't released, Gaikai will use Intel's six-core CPUs and solid-state drives to handle the games. The devices will then be installed within Limelight Networks' infrastructure.
