Cloud gaming company Gaikai said Thursday that the company has teamed up with game developer Turbine to allow gamers to play two free-to-play PC MMOs via a browser, with no download required.
Gaikai said that the Turbine MMO, "The Lord of the Rings Online" would be available to play today via the Lord of the Rings Online Web site, although the game wasn't available via Gaikai at press time. A second, "Dungeons & Dragons: Online", will be available soon, both companies said.
Gaikai chief executive David Perry had previously promised that MMOs would come to his platform.
To date, both games have required users to download the game client. With Gaikai, users will simply need to open a browser window and start playing the game, virtually instantaneously. Users will need to register with the service and sign up for a user name and password.
"MMOs have always been one of the key genres that we've wanted to deliver via the cloud - never before has it been possible to play MMOs in this way," said Robert Stevenson, executive vice president at Gaikai, in a statement. "And we couldn't be more pleased to showcase Gaikai's technology by streaming Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online, which are both fantastic multiplayer gaming experiences with legions of loyal fans."
Both Turbine games are "free-to-play," which allow users to progress through the game for free. Bonus content, however, which can include costumes, quests, and advantages, or "buffs," can be purchased via the online store.
Gaikai still has not launched its promised integration with Facebook, but the partnership with Turbine still offers Gaikai the chance to facilitate an entire game. To date, the company has generally provided 30-minute demos of the full game via a browser.
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