General FAQ

Retailers FAQ

Affiliates FAQ

Publishers FAQ

Technical FAQ

• Q:

  What is Gaikai?

  A:

  Gaikai is a cloud-based gaming technology that allows users to play major PC and console games like Call Of Duty or World Of Warcraft instantly, with one click. No download or install required. This technology powers a next-generation video game advertising network that generates sales leads for video game publishers, developers, retailers, and affiliates via online demos of games and software applications. Users are presented with an offer to try the game or app before buying it, therefore giving them hands-on experience with the product right at the point-of-sale.

• Q:

  How do I pronounce Gaikai? What does it mean?

  A:

  Gaikai is pronounced "Guy-Kai". Both syllables rhyme with "fly".

  Gaikai is a Japanese term that loosely translates to the vast "open ocean." We are on a voyage -- with all of our partners -- to explore this new area of technology, where you get to experience incredibly advanced 3D gaming hardware, everywhere you go, without having to buy it.

• Q:

  Is this Gaming-on-Demand?

  A:

  Nope. Gaikai is not a subscription-based, gaming-on-demand service. We use our technology to generate sales leads for video game manufacturers, retailers, and affiliate websites. Users browsing sites in our network will be presented with the opportunity to try the latest video games and software applications before they buy them.

• Q:

  Does it cost anything to play games on Gaikai?

  A:

  Players play games for free on Gaikai. Game publishers and other partners pay for the service as a way to give players the chance to experience their games.

• Q:

  Is Gaikai's technology just limited to video games?

  A:

  While our initial focus is to deliver amazing video game experiences with as little friction as possible, our long-term strategy also involves offering online trials of premium software tools like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Sony Vegas, and Cinema 4D.

• Q:

  How do I download and install Gaikai?

  A:

  That's the best part: you don't. There's no special program to download or install. Games powered by Gaikai are delivered straight to your web browser using ubiquitous technologies like Flash and Java. Playing a game on Gaikai is as easy as watching a video on YouTube.

• Q:

  How do I request that a game be added to Gaikai?

  A:

  If there's a game you think others would enjoy, please contact the publisher of that game and ask them to try Gaikai. The more game publishers hear from you, the more they'll contact us about adding their games.

• Q:

  Can I help test games on Gaikai?

  A:

  Sure. Please sign up to be a Gaikai beta tester by clicking here. As a beta tester, you'll have the opportunity to preview games before the public gets to see them.

  Currently, we are only accepting beta testers who are 18 or older.

• Q:

  Where is my Gaikai password?

  A:

  Gaikai is currently in closed beta, so only a limited number of invites are available. When we have an invite for you, we will get in touch and will provide a password for you at that time.

• Q:

  How can I provide suggestions or feedback about Gaikai?

  A:

  Please fill out the Contact form, and we'll be sure to consider your suggestions. Thanks for helping us keep Gaikai great!

• Q:

  Where can I get press assets and other media information about Gaikai? How do I get placed on your press list?

  A:

  You can download Gaikai photos, logos, press releases, and executive bios from our Press Kit section. If you need additional information, or would like to request an interview with Gaikai's executives or founders, please send your questions to press@gaikai.com, and we'll do our best to answer them ASAP.

  To be added to our press list, please email your name, title, publication(s), email and phone number to press@gaikai.com.

• Q:

  Are there any job openings at Gaikai?

  A:

  Our most recent job listings can be found in our Jobs section.

• Q:

  Who do we contact about a service/product/partnership we think Gaikai would be interested in?

  A:

  Please email us at services@gaikai.com, and we promise to reply if there's a match with a service we need. If we don't reply, please don't chase us for a response. If we need what you're offering, you'll hear from us.

• Q:

  Where do I get support for games?

  A:

  We do not provide direct game support. Please contact the game publisher directly. Their customer support staff is much better equipped to handle game-specific questions and issues.

• Q:

  When will I hear back from Gaikai about being a beta tester?

  A:

  To ensure that our users get the absolute best game-playing experience possible, Gaikai's initial rollout is geographically targeted to certain areas of the U.S. and Europe. If you haven't heard from us yet, that probably means the service is not yet available in your area. Don't worry -- once we add servers close to you, we'll contact you and invite you to start playing games and testing the service. We guarantee it will be worth the wait!

• Q:

  How can I opt-out of email newsletters?

  A:

  At the bottom of the newsletter, there is a link that you can click to unsubscribe. However, if you already did that and are still receiving newsletters, please send an e-mail to support@gaikai.com and describe the situation. Be sure to include all necessary information (such as your name and e-mail address) so we can best correct the situation.

• Q:

  I need help with my Gaikai account. How can I contact Customer Support?

  A:

  Please send an e-mail to support@gaikai.com describing your issue as clearly as possible.

• Q:

  Why use Gaikai for video game trials and demos?

  A:

  Our system is designed to help you realize the highest possible revenue return for your advertising dollars. We give you the technology needed to offer a superior buying experience for potential customers, for a fraction of the cost of traditional online advertising. Rather than just delivering clicks, Gaikai delivers players ... players who are high off the excitement of playing your game, and are primed to buy. Plus, we give you the kind of real-time analytics and deep insights you need to best allocate your marketing budget.

• Q:

  Where do the players come from? Do we have to find them?

  A:

  Nope. Partner sites in Gaikai's network can supply all of the traffic to your games. Forget banner advertising -- with Gaikai, your marketing budget goes towards putting game demos in front of potential buyers right at the moment they are considering buying your game.

  That said, if you have traffic of your own you want to better monetize, Gaikai can help with that too. You can embed the Gaikai code on any website you own or operate (including microsites) to give your visitors the chance to try your game. Interested buyers can be sent directly to your online store to complete the sale.

• Q:

  What percentage of sales does Gaikai take?

  A:

  Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Gaikai simply charges for server time to make this all possible. If the sale takes place on your site, then you get 100% of the sale. If the demo is run on a retailer's site, then the retailer will close the sale and you'll get your normal cut of the purchase, just like you would with any other sale through that retailer.

• Q:

  How long are players allowed to play demos?

  A:

  That's up to you. You decide the maximum number of trial minutes you'd like to offer players. Our analytics and ad-serving technology will help you figure out the optimal number of minutes needed to close the sale, so you only spend exactly what you need to maximize the return on your investment.

• Q:

  How do we get our games on the Gaikai network?

  A:

  Gaikai has a limited inventory of server minutes available, so they are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The sooner you place your order, the more likely you will be to get the minutes you need to reach all your customers.

  To start, email us at publishers@gaikai.com. Please include a link to your game trailer and/or gameplay footage. You must at least own the worldwide digital distribution rights for a game to have it added to the Gaikai network.

• Q:

  How does Gaikai charge for its service?

  A:

  Gaikai charges by the minute for the length of time that demos are played. This works out extremely well for our advertisers. If a player decides he doesn't like the game, you can end up paying as little as one cent for that aborted demo. Even if a player maxes out his demo, the numbers work in your favor. Say you allow a demo to run for 30 minutes ... that can cost you as little as 30 CENTS, or less if you're buying server time in bulk.

• Q:

  How much does it actually cost to run demos on Gaikai?

  A:

  You can start streaming your game for as little as one cent per minute, on any sites that you own or operate!

• Q:

  Does Gaikai offer discounted rates?

  A:

  If you purchase server minutes in bulk, we give discounts in proportion to the size of the order. We may also offer various other promotions on special occasions.

• Q:

  How does Gaikai work for free-to-play games?

  A:

  Gaikai can drastically reduce the cost of acquistion for players of free-to-play games. Games that rely on microtransactions need to acquire players as cheaply as possible. Gaikai allows you to hook players on your games for just pennies when compared to traditional online advertising.

• Q:

  What genres work best with Gaikai's technology?

  A:

  Games of any genre can be streamed on Gaikai. Strategy, role-playing, and adventure games are particularly well-suited for providing the highest-quality gaming experience to the most number of players using today's technology.

• Q:

  Can we use Gaikai for conducting beta tests of our games?

  A:

  Definitely. Using Gaikai, you can put your game in front of thousands of testers without worrying about piracy or code leakage. Because games are streamed, players never have access to the physical games -- everything stays on Gaikai's servers. When the beta test is over, we can just flip a switch, and your game is no longer available to be played.

  It gets better. Gaikai's server technology makes patching and upgrading seamless and easy. Plus, we can provide videos of actual gameplay at the moment your game crashes, making it much easier to pinpoint and kill bugs as they happen. You can even view live video of players playing your game, to see exactly how they interact in real-world situations.

• Q:

  How do we add games to our site?

  A:

  If you think you have a site where publishers would like to feature their games, then please email embed@gaikai.com with your URL and we will review your site. Approval generally takes around 72 hours.

• Q:

  What sort of technical expertise is required to deploy Gaikai on our site?

  A:

  Almost none. Gaikai can be added to a site with a single line of Javascript code. If you have someone with a basic, working knowledge of HTML, you can add Gaikai easily.

• Q:

  Can we control which games will be available on our site?

  A:

  You will have access to a dashboard that lets you select which games you'd like to include, and -- more importantly -- which you'd like to exclude. For example, if you run a family-friendly site, you'll be able to exclude games for mature audiences from appearing on your site.

  Please note that there's no guarantee the games you want to include will definitely appear on your site; publishers ultimately have the say about which sites their games appear on. However, we'll never display games which you have explicitly asked not to be run on your site.

• Q:

  Can we get paid for hosting games on our site?

  A:

  Yep. For every minute someone plays games on your site, you get a hefty cut of the revenue. For many games, you make the same amount as we do, with a full 50/50 split. It's like we're giving you your own Gaikai service -- with patented technology, years of research and development, and an entire staff of programmers -- for free.

• Q:

  How can retailers benefit from using Gaikai?

  A:

  Just like publishers and developers, retailers pay by the minute for the time that games are streamed on their sites. Once the user finishes playing, they are directed to your store -- still high on the excitement of the demo -- to complete the sale. Giving visitors the chance to try games before they buy can help them overcome hestiation and can faciliate impulse buys.

  Plus, Gaikai demos can give your site an advantage over your competition. If you were a gamer, and you had a choice to buy from a site that offers free try-before-you-buy demos, or one that doesn't ... which would you choose?

• Q:

  How can paying for Gaikai demos on other sites help increase my sales?

  A:

  It's simple: any user who plays a demo sponsored by you will be directed to your store to complete the purchase, regardless of which site the demo is running on. You paid for the demo, you get to close the sale. Period.

  To make closing the sale even easier, we'll work with you to streamline the purchasing process however possible: by automatically adding products to your shopping cart, by pre-populating buyer contact info, etc.

• Q:

  What percentage of sales does Gaikai take?

  A:

  Zero. We don't take a single dime from the sale. We get paid only for the minutes during which demos are streamed -- the rest is yours.

• Q:

  Do I need to buy a fast 3D computer, or any other special hardware?

  A:

  Nope. All you need is a web browser running the latest version of Flash or Java. In fact, Gaikai makes it possible to play resource-intensive 3D games on devices never before possible, including laptops, netbooks, tablets ... even smartphones and other mobile devices.

  We run the games on our servers -- ultra high-end servers stuffed with the latest, greatest hardware -- so the only requirement from your computer is that it can display full-screen video.

• Q:

  How do I install Flash or Java?

  A:

  Gaikai runs in any web browser that has the latest version of Flash or Java installed.

  To install the latest version of Adobe Flash, download it from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer

  For PC, you can install the latest version of Java from Sun Microsystems: http://www.java.com/getjava

  If you have a Mac, Java is already installed. Just use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version. Here's some info: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338?viewlocale=en_US

  NOTE: You only need Flash OR Java, not both.

• Q:

  Do I need a lot of bandwidth?

  A:

  Gaikai uses something called "stream-shaping" to give you the best experience possible with the internet bandwidth you have. If you have 5 Mbps or more, you should have bandwidth to spare.

• Q:

  My computer is very old -- will I still be able to use Gaikai?

  A:

  Yes! Anyone that has access to the internet as well as the latest version of Adobe Flash or Java installed will be able to run our games. Our servers do all the heavy graphics processing -- all your computer needs to do is receive the video stream.

• Q:

  Can I run Gaikai on Linux?

  A:

  Of course. Gaikai works on any Linux version, as long as the official Adobe Flash or Sun's Java Virtual Machine plugins are installed.

• Q:

  Does Gaikai work on mobile phones?

  A:

  Gaikai is making special clients for mobile phones. We will announce them on this site as they become available.

• Q:

  Are there any latency issues?

  A:

  Latency is mostly an issue of geography. The closer you are to one of our servers, the lower your latency will be. For some users, latency will be non-existent. Other users will benefit from Gaikai's ongoing expansion into new regions of the U.S., Europe, and Asia -- a future into which we are investing heavily.

  Fortunately, Gaikai's system is designed to deliver the optimal gaming experience for users from day one, regardless of their location. We want people to have an awesome experience playing Gaikai games, every single time. Therefore, if we detect that a user's latency will be too high, we either won't offer that user a demo, or we'll offer a demo of a game where a little extra latency won't be detrimental.

• Q:

  Is Gaikai "cloud-based gaming"? And what is that, anyway?

  A:

  Gaikai technically is "cloud-based gaming," since the game is out there running on the cloud somewhere. That said, internally we tend to call it "server-side rendered" gaming. Why? Because your game isn't running on some giant cloud infrastructure like the Amazon cloud -- no cloud offers 3D graphics at the level we need them! Instead, your game runs on specialized servers designed, owned, and operated by Gaikai. That's where the rendering is actually happening.

• Q:

  Can Gaikai work on consoles?

  A:

  Yes it can. Feel free to tell your favorite console maker to add support for Gaikai demos!

• Q:

  Do you support HD?

  A:

  We do. 480p and 720p are easily accessible by many internet connections. However, for 1080p a user must have a higher bandwidth connection in order to experience it at an optimal level.

• Q:

  I've read that the cost of servers makes a service like this impossible. Why?

  A:

  Gaikai has invested a lot of time and money into making the "impossible" possible. The details are top secret, but the answer lies in virtualization. By virtualizing games, we are able to run multiple instances per server. This dramatically lowers the cost.

• Q:

  Does Gaikai support expansions? Mods? Controllers?

  A:

  Yes, yes, and yes. It's easy for us to offer games with all expansion packs pre-installed. There's no need for the players to install anything themselves.

  If the publisher of the game wishes to enable mods or add-ons, then we can make them available with a single click. If you see games delivered via Gaikai and you feel your mod would be critical, please simply contact the publisher of that game.

  For players using Java, we offer full support of controllers (joypads, joysticks, steering wheels, guitars etc.). If you are a controller manufacturer, please feel free to email us for more information at controls@gaikai.com.