GaiKai Launches on Facebook

Gaikai Inc are much like OnLIve, offering a cloud gaming service which allows you to play top quality retail games and more without having to download the game.

The system works much in the same way YouTube does, you input the games controls are you normally would, the computers at their end do all the rendering work, your streamed the results, assuming your computer is capable of streaming a good quality YouTube video, you can try it too.  No super graphics cards required, no big downloads, except the data used by the video stream of course.

But what does means for Facebook gaming? we’ll how about the fact that you can play these games, right now, from within facebook?

• Saints Row – The Third (USA)
• Dead Rising 2 – Off the Record (USA)
• Magicka (USA & Europe)
• Sniper – Ghost Warrior (USA & Europe)
• The Witcher 2 – Assassins of Kings (USA & Europe)
• Orcs Must Die! (USA & Europe)
• Farming Simulator 2011 (USA & Europe)

“People don’t want to leave Facebook to play games – Zynga’s phenomenal success is proof of that,” said David Perry, CEO of Gaikai, “Cloud Gaming means that the game doesn’t need to be downloaded and run on your computer, it literally means the game runs out on the internet, in the cloud, with the experience being streamed to the players. Most video game publishers are now seeking to grow their digital customer base and unlike movie and music services like Netflix and Spotify, Gaikai gives the game publishers relationships with the customers.” “The power of Facebook is not only in the vast size of the connected audience, but also in the quality of the social ties and interactions that occur within the network. The Facebook social graph fuels our mantra ‘Try it for free’, ’Share it if you like it’, ‘Buy it if you love it’.”

While the service is still in Beta, it does work, no doubt more games will be hitting the service soon, but a revelation in multi player gaming and more could be about to take Facebook by storm.

“Gaikai’s technology allows us to deliver our games to a wider audience,” stated Kevin Kraff, Vice President of Global Brand Management at THQ. “As content creators it’s not only paramount that we give our players great entertainment but also that we give them a choice in how they access it. Streaming inside Facebook is not only revolutionary, but is something that both new and existing players will benefit from.”

The Gaikai Facebook app is currently available in North America & Europe. To play you will need to be in a Gaikai coverage area with a broadband internet connection and Java installed. Gaikai works on any PC or Mac using Windows, Mac OS or Linux. Gaikai works in all major browsers including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Try it now

Source: GhostStorm