Tag: cloud gaming

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PlayStation making big cloud gaming push amid streaming handheld rumours

PlayStation is seemingly making some big plays in the cloud gaming market.

As spotted by The Verge, the gaming giant is currently hiring for 22 roles related to cloud gaming technology. Interestingly, one particular job — director of product management for cloud gaming — will specifically be to “develop and deliver the strategic vision for cloud game streaming at PlayStation,” notes The Verge.

However, clicking on that link leads to a message that says “the job you are looking for is no longer open.” It’s unclear whether Sony took it down to try to maintain a lower profile on its cloud gaming efforts or if it’s actually somehow filled the role in the short time since The Verge originally published its story.

What is still live, though, is a variety of positions related to Sony’s Future Technology Group (FTG), at which the company says employees will have “the opportunity to lead the charge in the cloud gaming revolution.” Sony adds that FTG is at the “forefront of putting console-quality video games on any device,” which is, of course, one of the main use cases for streaming.  As The Verge notes, FTG isn’t exclusively focused on cloud — it contributes to VR, controllers and other tech — it’s nonetheless citing cloud gaming as a major goal.

What should also be considered is that this news comes shortly after reports that Sony is working on a new cloud-based gaming handheld. This portable is reportedly based on Remote Play — PlayStation’s console-to-mobile streaming feature — but sport its own HD screen on a DualSense-esque gamepad.

All of this comes over a decade after Sony acquired cloud tech company Gaikai for $380 million USD (roughly $511.6 million CAD) with the intent of creating its own game streaming service. The company would eventually launch PlayStation Now, which allows select games from older PlayStation generations stream on their modern counterparts. Last year, Sony merged PS Now with PlayStation Plus under a new service that kept the Plus branding.

During all of this, a variety of other companies have been investing in the cloud gaming space. For a few years, Google had its Stadia service, although that shuttered in January. Amazon also has its Luna service, which recently expanded into Canada and other markets after being U.S.-only. Meanwhile, Nvidia offers its GeForce Now service for PC games. Even Netflix is working on its own cloud gaming platform.

But Sony’s most direct competitor across the board is, undoubtedly, Microsoft. The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant has been slowly expanding its own streaming efforts through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which lets Xbox games be streamed to console, PC, mobile and even smart TVs. Ultimately, it’s unclear what, exactly, are PlayStation’s own ambitions are for cloud gaming.

Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Here’s what’s coming to Amazon Luna in April 2023

In case you missed it, Amazon finally launched its game streaming service, Luna, in Canada on March 22nd.

Therefore, going forward, we’ll start rounding up the new titles that join the subscription platform’s catalogue every month.

Note: this list applies to Luna’s base membership, the $12.99/month Luna+, which offers unlimited access to dozens of games for the monthly fee. With all of that out of the way, here’s what’s coming to Luna+ in April:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Batora: Lost Haven
  • Endzone: A World Apart
  • Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
  • Lego DC Super-Villains

Meanwhile, Prime members can play a small rotating list of games at no additional cost, and currently, that includes:

  • The Adventure Pals
  • Horizon Chase Turbo
  • The Jackbox Games Party Pack 3
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2

It’s worth noting that Luna has two other subscription options:

  • Ubisoft+ Mulit-Access ($22.99/month) — dozens of games from Ubisoft’s catalogue, including Far Cry 6, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Beyond Good & Evil and Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Jackbox Games ($6.49/month) — includes every Jackbox party game (Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Drawful and more)

Image credit: Warner Bros. Interactive

Source: Amazon

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Netflix says it’s ‘seriously’ looking into a cloud gaming service

Netflix is “seriously” considering launching a cloud gaming platform, the company has confirmed.

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Mike Verdu, Netflix’s VP of game development, said the company is “very seriously exploring a cloud gaming offering” as an extension to its existing Netflix Games platform on mobile.

He added that the company would “approach this the same way we did with mobile, which is start small, be humble, be thoughtful, and then build out.” Currently, Netflix Games offers a few dozen mobile titles at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers.

According to Verdu, embracing the cloud will “meet members where they are on the devices where they consume Netflix.” Indeed, part of Netflix’s success boils down to its ubiquity, with all sorts of mobile devices, smart TVs and gaming platforms supporting the service.

However, Verdu declined to mention whether Netflix would produce its own controller for the platform, like Google did for its soon-to-be-shuttered Stadia cloud gaming service. Instead, he simply said TV remotes wouldn’t be the sole method of play. Given the widespread usage of controllers from the likes of PlayStation and Xbox, including with Apple TV, it’s possible that Netflix could simply opt to partner with existing companies.

Of course, it’s important to stress that this is all hypothetical, with Netflix not actually confirming concrete plans. On top of that, it’s not clear when the company would even release such a platform. As Verdu noted, Netflix’s approach to gaming has been measured, only offering a handful of mobile-exclusive titles since the platform launched nearly a year ago.

Along the way, it’s been gradually investing more into first-party studios, such as by acquiring Oxenfree developer Night School or opening up a brand-new office in Finland. That said, Netflix acknowledged that “it’s still early days” and “creating a game can take years,” setting expectations for when we might see more from these teams.

It’s also unclear how many people have actually been using Netflix Games. According to an August report from app analytics firm Apptopia, fewer than one percent of overall Netflix subscribers are using the gaming platform. Netflix — a company already notorious for obfuscating data on how well its content performs — hasn’t provided any official data on Netflix Games’ performance. In an October 18th letter to investors, the company simply said “We’re seeing some encouraging signs of gameplay leading to higher retention” while confirming that at least 55 games are coming to Netflix in the future.

And although Stadia never took off, cloud gaming as a whole is certainly on the rise. Newzoo, a reputable analytics firm, published a report earlier this month detailing how the games industry is set to generate approximately $2.4 billion USD (about $3.3 billion CAD) in cloud revenue this year. That works out to a 74 percent increase year-over-year, and roughly 31.7 million consumers paying for cloud gaming.

Other companies have already dipped their feet into the game streaming market. Following beta testing in 2019, Microsoft has been expanding its Xbox Cloud Gaming service (included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) to devices like mobile and smart TVs, while PlayStation offers the ability to stream a variety of games on console. Amazon also has its own streaming platform, Luna, although it’s only available in the U.S.

In related news, Netflix recently pulled back the curtain on its lower cost, ad-supported tier, which is launching in Canada on November 1st.

Via: Protocol

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Mobile Syrup

Google announces new Chromebook powered by cloud after killing Stadia

Google is announcing a brand new line of Chromebooks. The three new devices, developed in partnership with a number of manufacturers, are said to utilize the power of the cloud for gaming. News of the products come not long after the same company pulled the curtain on Stadia.

Google’s new Chromebook selection includes Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and the Ideapad Gaming Chromebook from Lenovo. Each laptop touts high framerates and RGB keyboards. Most prominently, each new Chromebook is built for cloud gaming.

We’ve compiled a quick overview of each device. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers a 120Hz WQXGA display, RGB anti-ghosting keyboard, and WiFi 6E connectivity. It is also built on an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB+ RAM.

Meanwhile, the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip supports a 144Hz FHD display and is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop. Once again, this device includes an RGB anti-ghosting keyboard and an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB+ RAM. It is paired with Harmon Kardon-certified dual speakers with WiFi 6 connectivity enabled.

Finally, the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook supports a 120Hz WQXGA display, an RGB anti-ghosting keyboard and WiFi 6E connectivity. Additionally, it includes a 4-speaker system with Wave audio tuning plus an Intel Core i3+ processor with 8GB+ RAM.

While each device offers modest specs, it’s Google’s emphasis on cloud gaming that stands out the most. Even in the blog post, Google highlights the respectable number of games available on the cloud via the above video. Google is teaming up with Nvidia to bring its GeForce Now cloud-based gaming feature to each Chromebook. Each device is built to support Nvidia’s highest performance RTX 3080 tier. Members of the RTX 3080 tier are able to play AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite and Crysis 3 Remastered at up to 1600p @120fps.

Additionally, Google is partnering with Xbox to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Chromebook via an installable web app to give subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate even more flexibility. Xbox Cloud Gaming supports a wide array of first-party titles and third-party games available on Xbox Game Pass.

The timing of this announcement is quite unfortunate. The performance of each Chromebook does set itself up to be a cloud-gaming workhorse. However, Google recently shuttered Stadia, its own cloud-gaming service. Had it not, the narrative of these new Chromebooks being Stadia-powered writes itself. Though, as of January 18th, 2023, Stadia and its servers will be taken offline. For those in the Google ecosystem, refunds on hardware and software will be given through the Google Play Store.

As for the new Chromebooks, each device will be available this month.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

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Cloud gaming expected to grow 74 percent despite death of Google Stadia

Cloud gaming has undoubtedly been becoming more popular as far as corporate involvement is concerned. Many goliaths within the tech space are dipping their toe into the space and for a good reason. In 2022, cloud gaming is expected to grow 74 percent year over year and generate over $2 billion.

Currently, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, and Nvidia GeForce Now dominate the space alongside other platforms like Amazon Luna. The accessibility and pool of revenue available within cloud gaming are only getting larger as time goes on. According to data published by Newzoo, 2022 may close out with 31.7 million global consumers. Additionally, the market is on track to generate around $2.4 billion USD (roughly $2.7 billion CAD). If accurate, this could mean that the cloud gaming sector is on pace to grow 74 percent year over year.

Of course, this all comes off the heels of the news that Google is shuttering Stadia. Stadia’s operations have only been in effect for three years. However, due to a rocky rollout of features and software support, Stadia servers are being taken down on January 18th, 2023. Despite this news, cloud gaming’s popularity appears relatively unaffected.

Newzoo believes that the closure of Stadia actually has a positive impact on the cloud gaming market. “The positive developments in the cloud gaming market that we analyze in this report, which support a bright future for the technology, do not evaporate due to Stadia’s shutdown,” Newzoo states.

It credits that a portion of the positive impact stems from Google’s readiness to provide refunds to Stadia players. Upon the confirmation that Stadia is closing, Google assures players that hardware and software refunds are on the way before the termination date. In doing so, Google is avoiding the creation of negative feelings towards cloud gaming in a worst-case scenario.

Stadia’s exit also gives more room for Microsoft, Sony, Amazon, Nvidia, and others to compete. Now, it’s up to these individual companies to leverage their own cloud services to attract former Stadia players as well as attract new adopters.

The gaming analyst believes that cloud gaming is on its way to generating a sizeable sum of $8.5 billion USD ($11.6 billion CAD) by 2025.

Source: GameIndustry.biz via TheGamer

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Mobile Syrup

Google reportedly testing launching cloud games directly from Search results

Google is currently testing a way for users to be able to launch games via the cloud directly from the Google Search results, as first shared by Bryant Chappel from The Nerf Report in a Twitter thread.

Until now, Google Search results for games only show general information about the title and platforms it’s available on, but soon, searching for a cloud-based game on Google Search will present a play button tied to cloud streaming platforms.  The functionality seems to be working for Google’s own Stadia, Amazon’s Luna (not available in Canada), Nvidia’s GeForce Now and Microsoft’s xCloud.

GeForce Now only appears to support Fortnite for now, and according to Chappel, it might be up to the developer to make the title playable directly from the search results.

Upon trying to use the feature, MobileSyrup did not get an option to launch games directly from the search results, which likely means that the functionality is either geo-locked or is being tested with certain users only. It is also likely that users need to be logged in to the specific cloud gaming platform before attempting to search it on Google. Nevertheless, this only adds to the appeal of cloud gaming that allows users to play titles without having to download them, irrespective of the specifications of the machine they’re on.

It is not currently clear when or if Google will roll out this feature widely.

Image credit: @BryantChappel

Source: @BryantChappel

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Logitech partners with Tencent on mysterious cloud gaming device

Logitech and Tencent are collaborating on a cloud gaming handheld.

Tentatively called the ‘Logitech G Gaming Handheld,’ the device will support multiple cloud gaming services, including Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia’s GeForce Now. However, images of the device were not revealed, so it’s unclear what it looks like or what sorts of button configurations it may have. Further, no pricing or specific release information (beyond a 2022 window), including whether it will come to Canada, has been confirmed.

In fact, the official press release offers little in the way of information, offering instead the following vague statements from Tencent and Logitech:

“Logitech G’s leadership in PC and console gaming gear make them an ideal partner to help us realize the vision of bringing a better gaming experience to gamers around the globe,” said Daniel Wu, general manager of Tencent Games Smart Solution Innovation Lab. “Today marks the start of a new opportunity for our companies to further push the frontiers of gaming devices.”

“As one of the leading global platforms for game development, publishing and operations, Tencent Games has been at the forefront of innovation and it’s why we partnered with them,” said Ujesh Desai, general manager of Logitech G. “As someone that grew up playing video games, the idea of being able to stream and play AAA games almost anywhere is super exciting, and we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

Those interested in learning more about this mysterious device can sign up here for updates.

As cloud gaming has grown significantly over the past few years, several companies have released console controller-esque peripherals for mobile. One of the most popular of these is the Backbone, which has Xbox- and PlayStation-specific variants. It remains to be seen whether the Logitech G Gaming Handheld will draw from those.

Source: Logitech, Tencent

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Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming stick and TV app could come ‘in the next 12 months’

Microsoft is a leader in cloud gaming and its ecosystem continues to expand on that front. For over a year, we’ve known the company is working on developing a stand-alone Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming stick to plug into a TV or display. Additionally, a native smart TV app is also on its way.

This streaming-focused future could very well arrive in the next year. Most recently VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb and Tom Warren from The Verge corroborate the story that Microsoft’s next major shift is on its way. Grubb states that the Xbox streaming stick or “Roku-like puck” may launch “in the next 12 months.”

In November 2020, Xbox head Phil Spencer first discussed the possibility of being able to stream games directly to a TV or display without a console. Later last year, Spencer confirmed the development of both a streaming stick device and a native TV app that could function as an Xbox Cloud Gaming portal.

However, since that time, Microsoft remains quiet about when this concept will become reality. Grubb and Warren both bring up an “Xbox Everywhere” initiative Microsoft is working on. “I’m pretty sure we’re gonna hear a lot more about it in the coming months,” Warren says. Based on the name, one can imagine taking your games and progress with you from a console in one room, to a smartphone, and to a TV in another.

This past week, Microsoft and Epic Games launched Fortnite on Xbox Cloud Gaming. This release is important for a number of reasons. First, the company is prioritizing a launch of a free-to-play game on its service. It also doesn’t require a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Secondly, Epic Games and Fortnite have been banned from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. Launching on Xbox Cloud Gaming sidelines the ban. Microsoft and Epic restore the ability to play Fortnite on iOS and Android devices.

Finally, while it’s only one title, it’s another leg forward in a reality where a player’s entire library is accessible through Xbox Cloud Gaming. This is something Microsoft has envisioned since day one of this initiative. As more devices and options are brought into the fold, the ecosystem effectively opens up to more players.

Image credit: Microsoft

Source: The Verge

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Ubisoft unveils ‘Scalar’ cloud platform, says it will create ‘new types of games and massively social experiences’

Ubisoft has announced Scalar, a new cloud-native technology that it claims “changes the way games are made and experienced.”

Scalar is led by Ubisoft Stockholm in Sweden in collaboration with teams in Malmö, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; Bucharest, Romania and Kyiv, Ukraine.

Per Ubisoft, Scalar will reduce dependency on game engines, which are used to create games, to open up game development possibilities. The company says this will enable developers to avoid traditional production constraints to focus on game design and player experience.

Using a microservice architecture, Scalar breaks down components and systems of traditional game engines, like AI and physics, independently in the cloud. This creates a distributed model across a “potentially unlimited” number of machines. In theory, this can then allow developers to leverage a “virtually infinite” amount of computing power to create digital worlds that “were previously unachievable.”

Additionally, Ubisoft says the tech is capable of dynamically starting and stopping services based on both player and developer activity so it only uses required computing power in real-time. This removes the need for developers to recompute what has already been computed.

Given that it’s still early, it’s unclear how this might impact specific Ubisoft games, like Assassin’s Creed or even the upcoming Splinter Cell remake. On a broader level, though, Ubisoft explained how this can impact the player experience.

For one, Scalar will allow developers to update and improve one service without affecting others, or add features to a game while people are playing, no download required. Additionally, the company teased how this might impact social games.

“Natively cross-platform and scalable, [Scalar] allows [players] to gather by the millions in a singular, shared virtual environment for new types of games and massively social experiences,” says Ubisoft. “And with cloud-accelerated systems, game worlds also reach a new level of persistency where players’ actions can have an immediate and lasting impact on their environment, opening the doors to new forms of emergent gameplay.”

For now, Ubisoft says its Stockholm studio is using Scalar to make a brand-new IP, although it will gradually expand the tech to all of its studios. The publishing giant has a significant Canadian presence, with major studios in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto, in particular.

Companies are becoming increasingly invested in game streaming technology. In addition to the streaming-only platforms Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox and PlayStation have optional streaming services, Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Now, respectively. Nintendo also leverages the cloud to bring select games to the Switch, including Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and theKingdom Hearts series.

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Lemnis Gate, Battlefield 1 Revolution and 12 other games added to GeForce Now

Nvidia has announced 14 new titles that have been added its GeForce Now cloud streaming service today.

Below is the list of new games:

Nvidia’s cloud gaming service offers two membership options. The first is the free route that gives you standard access to the platform with a one-hour gaming limit per session. Once the hour passes, you can queue again to get another hour of free gaming, although you may have to wait a while.

Nvidia also offers a paid membership option that gives you priority access to gaming servers without any session length limit. This subscription costs $12.99/month or $129.99/year.

Learn more about Nvidia GeForce and its subscription options here.

Image credit: EA

Source: Nvidia