Sony is deeply involved in the game industry with their PlayStation and game development division so they must have felt the pressure from the upcoming cloud gaming services. Sony announces today that they have purchased Gaikai, who can transform for example Smart TVs into full-blown game consoles, for 380 million US dollars.

Sony buys Gaikai for 380 million USD
Sony has publicly discussed their interest in the so-called cloud gaming technology where games are streamed via the internet to for example Smart TVs or tablets, thus making graphic hardware in the device obsolete. FlatpanelsHD recently examined how cloud gaming could transform a Smart TV to a game console.


Sony buys Gaikai and will also supply gaming services to their direct competitors in the future

Sony has now taken action and has bought Gaikai, which is one of the forefront providers of cloud gaming. Sony has paid 380 million US dollars to get the hands on the company. Sony now has access to Gaikai’s technology, servers and expertise in the field of cloud gaming. Game titles range from huge blockbuster titles to smaller, casual games. Gaikai’s employees will move to Sony.

It is worth noting that Gaikai recently announced partnerships with both Samsung and LG to deliver games on their respective Smart TVs. With the deal, Sony also enters into a partnership with their direct competitors to deliver gaming services to their Smart TVs. The direct competitor to Gaikai is OnLive but also Microsoft acknowledges the trend towards cloud gaming, as evidenced by the leaked document on the Xbox 720.

Could this be a sign of what to expect from PlayStation 4? A "cloud gaming" gaming console?