Gaikai coming to LG TVs, playable OnLive coming to GoogleTVs
If you're someone whose hatred of physical media and cluttered entertainment systems is rivaled only by your passion for contemporary gaming and universal controllers, your next television purchase may have just become as conflicted as your eccentric little heart of hearts.
Gaikai and LG have announced plans to place Gaikai's cloud-based game-streaming services inside of LG's upcoming 2012 line of Cinema 3D TVs. The service will use Gaikai's middleware to power an LG-branded gaming portal within the company's existing Smart TV app ecosystem. No information has yet been given regarding how these games will actually be played, but we're hopeful it will involve a controller of some kind, rather than creative use of the TV's remote.
OnLive has also announced further integration of its cloud-based game-streaming service into Google's GoogleTV platform, by way of Vizio's "next generation" of "Internet Apps Plus" devices. Vizio TVs equipped with Internet Apps Plus and GoogleTV 2.0 will allow users to connect their Universal Controller and stream games normally. This is a big leap from OnLive's current GoogleTV presence, which is currently limited to a "Player" app that allows GoogleTV users to spectate OnLive games happening on other devices. No word on whether full OnLive functionality will come to other devices running GoogleTV 2.0.
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LG ELECTRONICS & GAIKAI ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
TO DELIVER DIGITAL TV CLOUD GAMING
At CES 2012 LG will demonstrate state-of-the-art "Cloud Gaming",
where high-end, console-like video game experiences can run in
the cloud and are instantly playable on LG Digital TV's.
Los Angeles, USA - January 10, 2012 - Gaikai Inc., a Southern California based business, and LG Electronics today announced a key strategic partnership to launch an integrated Smart TV cloud gaming service across LG Cinema 3D TV starting with the 2012 products. A prototype version of the service will be demoed live from the CES 2012 show floor in Las Vegas.
Gaikai has spent three years building the fastest interactive cloud network in the world, instantly capable of delivering cutting-edge games without the need for any extra custom hardware. Coupled with relationships with the top video game and development partners around the world, Gaikai is capable of delivering a broad catalog of the world's most exciting games straight to LG connected consumers.
"We care passionately about delivering the best content and most premium experiences possible for our valued customers", said Taeg Il Cho, VP of TV Product Planning Group at LG Electronics, "the ability to have award winning games that run on much more powerful hardware in the cloud than today's PlayStation® 3 or Xbox® 360, made this a must-have feature for our televisions and future devices".
"Thanks to the Internet, you can watch the latest movies and listen to the latest music practically anywhere," said David Perry the CEO of Gaikai, "but until today, to play the biggest blockbuster video games, every household has had to buy and set up expensive video game console hardware. That's all about to change and pioneers in the space can build direct digital relationships with their end consumers."
LG will leverage Gaikai's processing cloud platform for its game portal service operating within the LG Smart TV ecosystem. Consumers will be able to use Smart TV sign-in and seamlessly play a broad range of games, including some of the latest award-winning releases.
