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Video game action heads for the cloud
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 5, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Video games are following television
and music into the cloud, with console-quality play on its way to being a
streaming service as easy to access as Netflix or Spotify.
Computing power in data centers and devices from televisions to smartphones
has surged and streaming technology has advanced, providing tools to break
blockbuster titles from confines of consoles or personal computers.
During a recent Microsoft earnings call, chief executive Satya Nadella said
a keenly anticipated “X Cloud” video game streaming service is in “early
days” but he is excited by the prospect of giving players access console-
quality titles on all kinds of internet-linked devices.
“Most critical is having a platform where gamers are already there,”
Nadella said, noting booming revenue from its Xbox console unit.
“I am most excited about the core (Xbox) community and content we have; I
think that is what even gives us permission to think about streaming.”
Video game titan Electronic Arts (EA) this week laid out a vision of
streaming video games enhanced with artificial intelligence to create
“living, breathing worlds that constantly evolve.”
EA, maker of the popular Battlefield and FIFA game franchises, has more
than 1,000 employees working on a platform to harness the power of cloud
computing and artificial intelligence in a game service hosted on the
California-based company’s servers, according to chief technology officer Ken
Moss.
The effort is called “Project Atlas.”
“I strongly believe that what’s on the horizon will bring greater changes
than anything gaming has ever seen,” Moss said in a blog post disclosing
Atlas.
“You will be able to play games with your friends anytime, anywhere and on
any device.”
– ‘Assassin’s Creed’ in the cloud –
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter saw Amazon, Apple and Google as
potential big players in the space given huge investments they have made in
data centers that already provide cloud services to millions of people.
Amazon, a major cloud operator through its Amazon Web Services, also owns
popular game play-streaming service Twitch.
Google is collaborating with French video game colossus Ubisoft to use the
latest addition to the hit “Assassin’s Creed” franchise to test “Project
Stream” technology for hosting the kind of quick, seamless play powered by
in-home consoles as an online service.
“We’re going to push the limits with one of the most demanding applications
for streaming — a blockbuster video game,” Google product manager Catherine
Hsiao said in a blog post.
A select number of people in the US can play “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey”
streamed to Chrome browsers on desktop or laptop computers.
MORE/MSY/1036 hrs
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Console quality video game play streamed online as a service, hosted on
servers in the internet cloud, faces challenges including moving data quickly
enough to avoid lags in action or imagery.
Improvements in internet bandwidth, computing power and data storage
capabilities are enabling “disruptive technologies” such as streaming that
can change the way games are created as well as played, according to Ubisoft.
– Consoles in crosshairs? –
Companies interested in cloud gaming see it as a way to reach broader
audiences.
Microsoft has built a powerful platform for hosting computing in the
internet cloud, making such service a thriving part of its business.
The Redmond, Washington-based technology veteran has also invested heavily
in machine learning.
“If you agree that the eventual future of games consumption is through
cloud gaming services, then those companies with a strong position in cloud
are likely to be best placed to benefit from the transition,” said IHS Markit
games technology research director Piers Harding-Rolls at an industry event
earlier this year.
Sony offers more limited cloud service through its Playstation Now, keeping
game play within the confines of the console.
While streaming game services might nibble at consoles sales, they are more
likely to broaden the audience of players to anyone with an internet
connection, according to analysts.
“I don’t think this means the death of the console,” Pachter said.
“Publishers need consoles the same way movie studios need theaters.”
A question unanswered what business model will prove optimal for game
streaming services.
“It seems to me that the right business model is iTunes rather than
Spotify,” Pachter said.
“Let people ‘buy’ a game and stream it for as long as they want instead of
forcing them to sign up for a subscription.”
BSS/AFP/MSY/1036 hrs