In what can only be considered a very exciting move for any gamer, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has announced this morning that it has acquired cloud-based game streaming company Gaikai for approximately $380 million.

Founded in 2008, Gaikai isn't too different to OnLive, another cloud-based gaming company that is already becoming hugely popular. The service delivers high-quality games to a variety of devices over the Internet; there's no need to download each title before you play — they are simply "streamed" to your device.

Although it's unclear what exactly SCE will do with its new acquisition, the company has promised to deliver a "world-class cloud-streaming service" that will allow users to enjoy immersive games "anytime, anywhere." It doesn't sound like the service will change too much under SCE, then.

According to SCE's President and Group CEO, Andrew House, its purchase of Gaikai will provide users with an "unparalleled" experience:

"By combining Gaikai's resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE's extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences.

"SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices."

The CEO of Gaikai, David Perry, said that his company is honored to be working with SCE:

"SCE has built an incredible brand with PlayStation and has earned the respect of countless millions of gamers worldwide. We're honored to be able to help SCE rapidly harness the power of the interactive cloud and to continue to grow their ecosystem, to empower developers with new capabilities, to dramatically improve the reach of exciting content and to bring breathtaking new experiences to users worldwide."

Reports surrounding the sale of Gaikai have been circulating in recent weeks, with Fortune reporting last month that the company was looking for a buyer willing to spend in excess of $500 million. That's significantly more than the $380 million SCE has paid, of course.

For gamers, particularly those already to connected to PlayStation devices, this acquisition looks to be very promising indeed. While we don't know for sure what SCE has planned for the service, it has the potential to bring PlayStation games to devices like the PlayStation 3 and the PS Vita, and even to smartphones, tablets, television, and other Internet-connected devices.

Are you excited by SCE's purchase of Gaikai?

[via The Verge]