Sony to Acquire Cloud-Gaming Platform Gaikai for $380M
The upcoming deal marks big news for the cloud-based gaming world.
Photo courtesy Colony of Gamers
Sony said today that it plans to acquire cloud-gaming platform Gaikai for a staggering $380 million.
Gaikai, a four-year-old, California-based company, has become widely known for seamlessly transmitting data between cloud servers and users— a technology that Sony, makers of PlayStation, is apparently anxious to employ.
“By combining Gaikai's resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with [Sony’s] extensive game platform knowledge and experience, [Sony] will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences,” Andrew House, the president and group CEO of Sony, said in a statement to the press.
For Gaikai CEO David Perry, the deal marks new opportunities to “rapidly harness the power of the interactive cloud and to continue to grow [Sony’s] ecosystem, to empower developers with new capabilities, to dramatically improve the reach of exciting content.”
So just how would the gaming giant use this start-up’s technology?
Some expect Gaikai’s technology to solve a big consumer pain point: console transition. Gaikai’s technology could potentially let gamers use PlayStation, PS2, and PS3 games on any upcoming Sony consoles, giving a longer life to old games.
