Sony's Acquisition of Gaikai for $380 Million Could Reinvent Gaming Forever

 

Microsoft’s and Sony’s new console will be revealed in 2013, but what has many gamers and gaming writers anxious and worried is whether the new consoles will incorporate cloud gaming. With the news of Sony’s $380 million acquisition of GaiKai, which offers cloud-based service for accessing video games online with no need of any additional hardware, many are wondering if this is Sony’s next step for its upcoming console. What it could mean is stream games straight to a console with no updates, downloads, porting, or extra hardware for old games to work. A library of all games for the PlayStation could simply be made available online for any gamer to play to their hearts content. Games could be able play conveniently and easily through the service that would be offered through paying for access with no download. This could open new opportunities for more potential gamers to play games they couldn’t before as the prices for consoles would significantly drop due to the likelihood of less hardware needed.


The downside to this “too good to not be sci-fi” experience is the amount of bandwidth that is evolved. We’re talking about Xbox live on an even more massive scale. This type of magnitude of gaming has yet to have an infrastructure to support it since there has yet to be any game that has proven it possible. Full 70+ hour games via an internet connection could not only massively raise the cable bill but could prove to be difficult for those without the needed internet quality in order to play. Nevertheless, Sony’s business move was a smart one as for making GaiKai an ally, now would rid the chance of it being a threat. Sony’s competition, however, will be also looking into cloud gaming as an addition to their new consoles. GaiKai’s competitor, OnLive, also offers their own service for playing cloud-based games on PC, mobile devices, and a streaming box. The investment in cloud gaming is a just and right one for Sony ,however, given the disadvantage of jumping completely into cloud gaming could hurt the company more than they bargained for. If Sony could manage to create a hybrid of both cloud and hardware, it could lessen the need of additional hardware and ease gamers from completely relying on cloud services to play.


A hybrid of both cloud and hardware for the next gen could also prove to be beneficial as more markets could afford a next gen console that would require less hardware and thus be less expensive.  It would also be beneficial if the next gen did offer backwards compatible access to games via the cloud services by using the same partial system storage as the PS3.


GaiKai acquisition is a great investment for Sony’s future that could make it a worthy adversary. 

Narz is long standing Sega Fan, gaming equality advocate, founder of Girl Gamer Vogue, and writer for Gametyrant.

SOCOM - The Game that Transformed Into a Movement

   It’s been a while since I played SOCOM but I recently found my game manual that brought back memories of the time I was such a devoted gamer. So dedicated in fact that we created our own blog where we kept track of our scores and levels of a game that embodied what we felt a game should be. This was where the revolution of gaming began and in it a camaraderie between headsets and remote controls; soldiers in our own right to shoot for that satisfaction to complete missions and get on with our next tactics, and that was the beauty of it. What most of us felt was worth putting our time in because it was never a waste of time, especially after our blog got so many hits our server went down while all the hype for this game in particular continued to sky-rocket to an altitude none of us were prepared for. SOCOM fever spread through adolescents at a rate that consumed as well as generated an energy so powerful it was addicting and thus coined SoCrack.com

               This blog was set to generate and inform other SOCOM fans of current and upcoming models of our beloved game. Granted, perhaps we took it too far with our love for this game but it has been proven that no other game has held up to the standards to what SOCOM offered us in its prime. SoCrack was a way for gamers to express their winnings, losings and learn other forms to play and perfect their craft as the third-person tactical shooter. Many came through with stories relating to their experience and ideas on how this game can be even better. This was the vortex that led us to dive deeper and in an effort to keep up we continuously produced more and more SOCOM players and fans. But after SOCOM 1 and 2, we realized Sony could not top what this introduced to many gamers who felt games were too easy and predictable after playing for so long and being one of them, SOCOM was the first to actually hold my interest for as long as it did.

               Eventually, after the server for SoCrack crashed and the peak of SOCOM began to dwindle, so did our enthusiasm and I sobered up as well, giving in my title as co-founder of the site. However, just the other day I found that SoCrack is now managed by other SOCOM fans who are encouraging the remake to SOCOM 1 and 2 stating our original mission where “we are going to be that ‘unified voice’ that get's Sony's attention and shows them that we, the community, want the PS2 SOCOM experience back.” That experience that brings me back to my gamer side, where I am not just another teenager playing the latest Sony game installment, but G-Scope, a man with an army of brothers ready to shoot and destroy enemies and lead us to victory. If Sony delivers another game with this experience enough to engage a new generation of gamers, I would not think twice to hunt for my PS2 and relapse into the socrack virtual shooting phenomenon.

Check it out for yourself at SoCrack.com

G-Scope is a freelance video game writer and founder of SoCrack.com. 

               

E3 Highlights and Coverage - What to Look Forward to in 2012-2013

Written By Narz.

If you aren’t at E3 nor seen the live stream, do not worry because we got you covered. Here are the highlights of each conference. Check it out!

Microsoft

Halo 4 Trailer- Die hard Halo fans, you don't want to miss this trailer! Set to release December 2012.
   

Call of Duty Black Ops II E3 2012 Gameplay- Straight from the E3 floor get prepared to be blown away, literally! Set for release November 13th 2012.    

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Trailer- Check out the trailer Blacklist and get hyped! Set to come out Spring 2013.


 Xbox Smart Glass Presentation- The future is now! Microsoft gives you a sneak peek at Smart Glass, the newest tech that will combine all you tablets, TVs, and cellphones for an augmented video game experience. Don't believe me? Check the video out!  

Ubisoft

Assasin’s Creed III Gameplay- Go back in time to the revolutionary war and partake in George Washington's cavalry as an assassin. If that's not enough Sony is collaborating with a joint game: Assassin Creed III Liberation for the PS Vita were both games can be synced for an even bigger game! Set to release October 30th.

 Watch Dogs Gameplay- In what is being considered the most talked about game from Ubisoft's lineup, Watch Dogs is proving that better graphics aren't just going to cut it. Watch the gameplay and see what the hub bub is all about. Has yet to be assigned a release date.
 

Far Cry 3 Trailer- Get ready to dive into insanity in this trailer exclusive from E3. Set to release September 4th 2012.    

Sony

Book of Spells Gameplay- The way you read books has undergone an upgrade. Combining the ingenious writing and work of J.K. Rowling comes a game that takes Harry Potter's magic classroom into your living room.

God of War: Ascension Gameplay- I don't need to say much as the gameplay makes a speech about itself. Nothing less from the creators! Set to be released March 12th 2012!

Little Big Planet Karting Official Trailer- If you loved the Little Big Planet series, get ready for a whole new world! Create your own obstacle course, versus mode, and your own karts from scratch! With the same elements that made the series so great, comes a racing game that mimics everything Little and Big. Start your engines! Set to release October 30, 2012!

Beyond: Two Souls Trailer- Juno's Ellen Paige stars as the game's protagonist in this crazy beyond death game. Don't let me ruin it for you, check out the trailer! Set for late 2012 early 2013.    

Last of Us Gameplay- Sony's most anticipated game shocked us from the roots to our brains! Nolan North and Ellen Paige star in this game as the main protagonists. Shocking the audience with it's cunning and cinematic dynamics, you'll be hooked after watching this gameplay! Set to release late 2012 early 2013.


 Stay with us for more highlights and updates from E3!