One of the two big streaming PC game services is rumored to be putting up a virtual "For Sale" sign. CNN Money reports via unnamed sources that the company's owners and investors have hired bankers to oversee the sale. It adds that Gaikai is seeking offers that are "well in excess of $500 million." Gaikai has yet to comment on these rumors.
Gaikai (the company's name means "open ocean" in Japanese, by the way) was first formed in 2008 and has well known game developer Dave Perry (founder of the now defunct Shiny Entertainment) as its CEO. The company has been offering ways for game developers and publishers to offer its titles via cloud-based streaming servers. Since its official launch in early 2011, the company has offered free streaming PC game demos from Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and others.
This year, Gaikai launched ways to stream PC games directly from the Facebook website. It also announced deals to have Gaikai-based streamed games available on "smart" TVs from Samsung and LG. So far the company has raised about $45 million in venture capital funding from various sources. Its main rival in the streaming game business is OnLive, which launched several months ahead of Gaikai.
Source: CNN Money
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