Gaikai
Type of site
Subsidiary
FoundedNovember 2008
Headquarters
Aliso Viejo, California
,
U.S.
OwnerSony
Founder(s)David Perry, Rui Pereira, Andrew Gault
Key peopleDavid Perry, Robert Stevenson, Mark Anderson, Rui Pereira, Ueli Gallizzi, Ryan Breed, Colin DuPre
ServicesCloud gaming, game streaming technology, gaming on demand, remote play, video game and software advertising and distribution service
ParentSony Interactive Entertainment

Gaikai (外海, lit. "open sea", i.e. an expansive outdoor space) is an American company which provides technology for the streaming of high-end video games.[1] Its technology has multiple applications, including in-home streaming over a local wired or wireless network (as in Remote Play between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita), as well as cloud-based gaming where video games are rendered on remote servers and delivered to end users via internet streaming (such as the PlayStation Now game streaming service.[2])

Founded and registered in Netherlands in 2008 as "Gaikai B.V.",[3] it was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2012. As a startup, before its acquisition by Sony, the company announced many partners using the technology from 2010 through 2012 including game publishers, web portals, retailers and consumer electronics manufacturers.[4] On July 2, 2012, Sony announced that a formal agreement had been reached to acquire the company for US$380 million with plans of establishing their own new cloud-based gaming service, as well as integrating streaming technology built by Gaikai into PlayStation products,[5] resulting in PlayStation Now[6] and Remote Play.[7]

History

Gaikai was initially (pre-Sony acquisition) funded by Intel Capital, Limelight Networks, Rustic Canyon Partners, Benchmark Capital, TriplePoint Capital, NEA and Qualcomm.[8][9] Its streaming service was embedded on game-related websites and microsites, social media site such as Facebook,[10] and within specific products (such as smart mobile devices or digital TVs),[11] as determined by the publisher.[12] Users did not need to navigate to an online registration portal or download any software to access the games.[13] Gaikai recommended an Internet connection of 5 Mbit/s or faster, and a 3 Mbit/s connection met the minimum system requirements.[14] Gaikai's proprietary technology ran inside web browsers, in part, by using previously installed plug-ins such as Java or Adobe Flash, or alternately without using any plug-ins, as demonstrated at Google I/O 2012, where Gaikai showed a version of the service using the Google Native Client (NaCl).[15] A demo video early on in the service, at GDC San Francisco 2010, showed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Spore, Mario Kart 64 and Adobe Photoshop all running in Adobe Flash player.[16] In May 2010, Gaikai demonstrated World of Warcraft running on the iPad using its game streaming technology.[17] Gaikai's technology officially came out of a public Beta test and launched internationally on February 27, 2011, with Dead Space 2, The Sims 3, Spore, and Mass Effect 2.[18]

Services

Gaikai operated two business models for its cloud gaming services before the acquisition: Ad Network and Open Platform.[19]

In the Ad Network model, at the end of the demo the customer was given the option to purchase the game or product from a local retailer, online store or direct-to-drive download service.[20] The Ad Network included the Gaikai Affiliate Network[21] which launched on June 2, 2011[22] reaching over 10 million monthly active users by late 2011.[10] Websites which joined the network were able to stream high-end PC games as embedded advertising, and in exchange received a share of the marketing revenue generated from games streamed to consumers, who played the demos free of charge.[23] Gaikai-enabled games had been integrated into YouTube,[24] EA's Origin,[25] and Ubisoft's UBIShop in late 2011. In April 2012, Gaikai launched its service embedded inside Facebook,[26] allowing games to be streamed directly in the Facebook canvas.[27]

Meanwhile, the Open Platform model allowed streaming full games to PCs, digital TVs, tablets and smart mobile devices.[28] The first mobile partnership came in May 2012, streaming games to the Wikipad tablet.[29] In June 2012, Samsung announced a cloud gaming service powered by Gaikai to stream AAA games to its high end LED Smart TVs.[30]

Acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment

On July 2, 2012, shortly after rumors on the Internet started to appear, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the cloud-based service for US$380 million.[31] Gaikai launched their revamped website in October 2012, teasing top PlayStation branded titles including God of War, Infamous and LittleBigPlanet among other titles.[32]

Products

Remote Play

On February 20, 2013, Gaikai was announced to be developing the next generation of Remote Play, streaming games from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation Vita.[33] Remote Play between the PS Vita and PS4 launched with the PS4 in November 2013.[34]

Share Play

In late 2014, Share Play was launched, allowing users to play with a friend as if you were in the same room. This system enables users to play as they were watching the same screen remotely, and even virtually handing the controller to their friends.

PlayStation Now

At the January 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony announced the PlayStation Now (PS Now) game streaming service, powered by technology from Gaikai.[2] The service was initially discussed in February 2013, when it was revealed that PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 titles would be made available for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4 console via a new cloud gaming service.[35][36] At E3 2013, Sony had announced that the new game streaming service would launch in 2014.[37] At CES it was revealed that in addition to PlayStation platforms (PS4 and PS3 systems, followed by PS Vita), PlayStation Now would come to most 2014 US models of Sony's BRAVIA TV.[38]

Announced partnerships

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Q&A". Archived from the original on 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  2. 1 2 Sarkar, Samit (January 7, 2014). "PlayStation Now game-streaming service coming summer 2014". Polygon. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ "About Us / Contact". Gaikai B.V. Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  4. ↑ "History". Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  5. ↑ Geron, Tomio. "Sony To Acquire Cloud Gaming Startup Gaikai For $380 Million". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  6. ↑ Hollister, Sean (January 7, 2014). "Sony announces PlayStation Now, its cloud gaming service for TVs, consoles, and phones". The Verge. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Richard (February 20, 2013). "PS4 features PS Vita remote play powered by Gaikai". Joystiq. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Gaikai Raises $10 Million For PC Games In The Browser". 2010-05-04. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
  9. ↑ "Cloud-Based Game Streaming Service Gaikai Raises $30M From Qualcomm, NEA And Others". 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
  10. 1 2 "Gaikai to add 10 million monthly active users by fall 2011". 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  11. ↑ "Perry promises Gaikai on TVs by 2012". 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  12. ↑ Nelson, Randy (2010-03-11). "Gaikai will be fee-free, utilize 300 data centers in the US". Joystiq.com. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  13. ↑ "Gaikai FAQ". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  14. ↑ "Gaikai FAQ". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  15. ↑ "Gaikai ported to Chrome Native Client, which is a bigger deal than it sounds". Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  16. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (2009-07-01). "David Perry Demos Gaikai Game Streaming". Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  17. ↑ Zimmerman, Conrad (2010-05-03). "World of Warcraft running on an iPad?". Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  18. ↑ Perry, David (2011-02-27). "DPerry.com: Gaikai is Live!". Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  19. ↑ "Gaikai Open Cloud Gaming Platform". Retrieved 2010-06-18.
  20. ↑ Nunnely, Stephany. "OnLive Subscription Service will Draw Customers to Gaikai, Says Perry". Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  21. ↑ "Gaikai Affiliate Network". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  22. ↑ "Gaikai Affiliate Network Launches with 'The Escapist'". 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  23. ↑ "Gaikai Affiliate Network Launches with 'The Escapist'". Reuters. 2011-06-02. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  24. ↑ Good,Owen (2011-10-20). "Right Now You Can Play a Console-Quality Video Game from … YouTube?". Kotaku. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  25. ↑ Greenwald,Will (2011-11-03). "Origin". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  26. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (2012-04-11). "David Perry Brings Gaikai Cloud Gaming To Facebook". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  27. ↑ "Real Games on Gaikai on Facebook | Facebook". Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  28. ↑ "Gaikai: Open Platform". Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
  29. ↑ "Gaikai announces Wikipad game streaming". 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  30. ↑ "SAMSUNG Set to Become a Major Force in the Video Game Industry". 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  31. ↑ "Sony Computer Entertainment to Acquire Gaikai Inc., a Leading Interactive Cloud Gaming Company - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee". Sacbee. 2012-07-03. Archived from the original on 2012-07-03. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  32. ↑ "Gaikai's New Website Teases PlayStation Titles". 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  33. ↑ RadioPS (2013-08-21). "Gaikai Used for PS4 Remote Play On Vita". RadioPS. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  34. ↑ PocketGamer (2013-11-29). "How To Play PlayStation 4 Games On Your Vita". PocketGamer. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  35. ↑ "PlayStation 4 will stream PS1, PS2, PS3 games".
  36. ↑ Spencer (2013-02-20). "PlayStation 4 Won't Play PlayStation 3 Games, Coming This Holiday". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  37. ↑ "Gaikai cloud service coming to PS4 in 2014". Polygon. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  38. ↑ "PlayStation Now Streaming Game Service Coming this Summer". 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  39. ↑ Caoili,Eric (2010-06-17). "E3: Gaikai, EA Partner For Streaming PC Games". Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  40. 1 2 "Intel Capital and Limelight Networks Make Strategic Investments Into Gaikai" (PDF). 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  41. ↑ Ferry (2011-03-08). "Play Gaikai Games". Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  42. ↑ Takahashi,Dean (2011-04-05). "Bigfoot Networks allies with Gaikai to deliver super-fast game streaming". Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  43. ↑ "Gaikai Affiliate Network Launches with 'The Escapist'". 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  44. ↑ Purchese,Robert (2011-06-08). "Play games on Eurogamer using Gaikai". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  45. ↑ Takahashi,Dean (2011-06-21). "Gaikai scores a whopper of a game distribution deal with Walmart.com". Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  46. ↑ Snider,Mike (2011-07-05). "Capcom teams up with cloud video game company Gaikai". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  47. ↑ Ivan,Tom (2011-08-22). "Gaikai signs CD Projekt streaming deal". EDGE. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  48. ↑ "Level 3 Powers Gaikai's State-of-the-Art, Cloud-Based Streaming Video Game Experiences". 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  49. 1 2 3 Takahashi,Dean (2012-01-04). "Gaikai thriving with streaming game demo deals from Best Buy and others (exclusive)". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  50. ↑ Buckley, Sean (2012-01-10). "Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service". Engadget. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  51. ↑ Dring, Christopher (2012-01-12). "Green Man Gaming partners with Gaikai". MCV. Archived from the original on 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  52. ↑ Martin, Matt (2012-03-02). "GAME signs with Gaikai for streaming game demos". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  53. ↑ Burns, Chris (2012-03-09). "LOTR Online and D&D Online going cloud streaming". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  54. ↑ "Instant Fun at No Cost: Gamesload Launches Germany's First Free Cloud Gaming Offering". 2012-04-30. Archived from the original on 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  55. ↑ Weber, Rachel (2012-02-05). "Gaikai partners with Wikipad tablet". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  56. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2012-05-15). "Nvidia poised to change gaming with cloud graphics chips". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  57. ↑ Gaudiosi, John (2012-05-15). "Nvidia, Gaikai partner with Meteor to broaden Hawken launch". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  58. ↑ Tipps, Seth (2012-05-22). "Gaikai signs Autodesk for multiplatform interface". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  59. ↑ Olivetti, Justin (2012-06-04). "TERA offers instant streaming demo courtesy of Gaikai". Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  60. ↑ Samsung U.S. News Center (2012-06-05). "SAMSUNG Set to Become a Major Force in the Video Game Industry". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  61. ↑ ←"Gaikai Inks Deal with Machinima". 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  62. ↑ "Sony buying streaming game service Gaikai for $380 million". 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
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