Ex-Namco, EA Execs Join Cloud Gaming Firm Gaikai

Former EA Redwood Shores CTO Tim Wilson and ex-Namco Bandai Games America VP of online development Robert Stevenson have joined cloud-based gaming company Gaikai. Gaikai, headed up by CEO and industry veteran David Perry, said the new appointments will help extend the company's online expertise. Prior to Namco, Stevenson was VP of business development and worldwide publishing at Atari. Wilson served at Electronic Arts for 16 years, working on the technical side of online systems for console and PC games. At Gaikai, Stevenson will serve as SVP of interactive entertainment, while Wilson will serve as executive VP of strategic relationships. Gaikai's initial business model relies on technology that allows players to instantly access hardware-intensive PC games by clicking on an game's ad in a web browser. Remote servers house game information, and user input is relayed back and forth to local PCs, so games don't require a download or installation. The service is currently in closed beta. Stevenson said, "With the uptake of digital TV predicted to grow rapidly through 2011 and beyond, entertainment-hungry consumers will demand more interactive services and Gaikai is ideally placed to deliver incredible gaming experiences to this audience." Other companies are vying for mindshare in the new cloud gaming market, albeit with varying business models. One of these companies is Onlive from web entrepreneur Steve Perlman. Launched last year, Onlive provides a marketplace for gamers to access and spectate full streaming online games. The company recently said it would be integrating its cloud-gaming technology into Vizio's line of internet-ready TVs.