Sony buy Gaikai game streaming service: PS4, Vita games web-bound?
It was rumoured before the E3 gaming conference but never came to fruition in time for the show, but now Sony have confirmed that they will be buying all the shares in cloud-gaming service Gaikai. Sony are thought to be paying a reported $380 million (£240 million) for the honour.
A rival to OnLive, the US firm Gaikai allows hardcore games to be played on practically any device with a screen and web connection. Gaikai have a supercomputer farm which lets you control processing-intensive games on weaker devices, with Gaikai sending back the resulting video stream of your game.
It lets AAA 3D PC games be played through a web broswer, web-connected TV and tablet devices, and now looks set to be coming to the PS3 and Vita too.
“By combining Gaikai’s resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE’s extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment about the buyout.
“SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.”
With the sun beginning to set on the current gamin console cycle, Sony are undoubtedly turning their attention to the PlayStation 4 here too. Could Sony be planning an all-cloud gaming catalogue, without physical gaming sales? With Sony not yet revealing their plans for the Gaikai buyout, anything is possible.
Via: Reuters
