E3 came and went without even a whisper of E3's biggest rumored announcement. But less than one month later, Sony Computer Entertainment has revealed that they have struck a deal to acquire Gaikai for $380 million.
Through the acquisition, Sony aims to establish their own cloud gaming service, utlizing Gaikai's technology and engineers to build "truly innovative and immersive interactive entertainment experiences".
SCE President and Group CEO had this to share:
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. 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.
While David Perry, creator of Gaikai said this of the acquisition:
SCE has built an incredible brand with PlayStation and has earned the respect of countless millions of gamers worldwide. We're honored to be able to help SCE rapidly harness the power of the interactive cloud and to continue to grow their ecosystem, to empower developers with new capabilities, to dramatically improve the reach of exciting content and to bring breathtaking new experiences to users worldwide.
This is easily the smartest move Sony could have made. With cloud services growing rapidly and becoming widely accepted, this ensures their future into the next generation of consoles and beyond. This could streaming service could find it's way on the PS4, internet-connected televisions, mobile phones, PCs and more. PlayStation will be everywhere an internet connection is available.
Tell GR: What do you think about this major move by Sony? Will Microsoft counter with OnLive? Build something of their own? What does this mean for the next generation?
