Sony Acquires Gaikai: 4 Possible Outcomes - pimenteldident

Sony has agreed to acquire Gaikai for roughly $380 million, decorous the first big video brave troupe to snatch up a cloud gaming service.

Gaikai, like its rival OnLive, streams video games from inaccessible servers, which perform totally the pregnant-duty processing before sending closed audio and telecasting back to the user. This allows users to play high-end games from devices with weaker processors, such as on-line TVs and tablets.

As with to the highest degree tech acquisitions, Sony and Gaikai aren't telltale any concrete plans even so. Just we can certainly speculate on what bequeath happen. Here are fivesome possible outcomes from Sony's acquisition of Gaikai:

Retrospective Compatibility Everlastingly

Shortly before E3, Sony was expected to announce a partnership with Gaikai that would allow the Playstation 3 and PSVita to stream Playstation 2 games. At the time, Gaikai CEO David Perry denied the rumor, but now it seems likely.

Looking leading, Gaikai's streaming service could ensure everlasting reverse compatibility, because Sony can add compatibility on the server lateral instead of building it into future hardware.

The Beginning of the End of Playstation Hardware

Consecrated video game consoles aren't imminently doomed, but they front increased competition from diminutive, ground-hugging cost exercise set-top boxes, such as Apple TV and Roku. Gaikai gives Sony an break loose route if those small boxes become a critical terror.

I don't think Gaikai means the death of Playstation 4, equally some get suggested, simply it will allow Sony to declare oneself a cheap living Set-top package that can quieten play steep-end games, much suchlike OnLive does in real time.

No Hardware Cycle

Waiter-side processing doesn't equitable allow Sony to deal out cheaper computer hardware to consumers. It too allows Sony to upgrade artwork prize and processing power incrementally, on its own, so users don't stimulate to reinvest in freshly hardware.

In other words, it's an escape from the risky lin of the console cycle. You involve only to deal Nintendo's Wii U–an gripping device, but one that could very well flop–to see wherefore a backup plan is desirable.

A New Direction for Playstation Mobile

Sony's been trying to institute a mobile presence since early 2022, when the company announced Playstation Suite for Android devices. Since then, Sony hasn't done much with the serving — now dubbed Playstation Mobile — in any case offering a handful of original Playstation games.

Gaikai leave enable Sony to offer the up-to-the-minute Playstation games on some mobile device and on the PSVita. And for players who insist on physical buttons, it's not hard to gues Sony selling a Playstation control that works with Mechanical man phones and tablets.

Operating theatre, Sony Ruins Everything

Although IT's fun to be optimistic, big acquisitions don't always puzzle out for the best. Sony will have to take in major investments in Gaikai's service to hold open the servers running and up up to now, and will as wel have to sharply make deals with strange companies so the serve can be ubiquitous.

Merely right now, Sony is struggling to return to gainfulness. Getting Gaikai could be a colourful move, but only if Sony girdle committed through these tough times.

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