Gaikai Seeks Game Demo Renaissance

The cloud-gaming technology Gaikai will attempt to rejuvenate the game demo as a viable option for publishers, according to CEO Dave Perry.

Just last month Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli stated that demos may soon disappear, citing resource and development costs as the main reason. But if Gaikai is able to deliver on the promise of no-fuss streaming of game trials, such problems may be eliminated.

When asked if the Gaikai technology could usher in a renaissance for game demos and the concept of try-before-you-buy, Dave Perry told IncGamers “That’s exactly what we are trying to do.”As of yesterday, the company has a little more revenue to help with that goal. Several investment partners have combined to contribute around $10 million USD to the project.

Of course the Gaikai system would not be limited to demos. The technology claims to hand publishers the ability to stream full games from remote servers, allowing them to be played through a browser. Players would have access to a selection of games without needing to worry about patches, or even the necessary graphics hardware.

Once the game’s demo time is up, players will be invited to buy a physical copy, a download or simply the ability to continue streaming. Unlike the rival OnLive service, Gaikai will charge no monthly subscription fees – as the burden of cost will be on publishers who wish to use Gaikai to make their games available to the public via streaming.

Gaikai will be launching in North America “soon.”