As we enter 2019, it would seem that everyone wants to get into the game streaming service. What’s fascinating here though there are more companies partaking in this than just game industry’s biggest names. We knew what Microsoft and Google offered, but now Amazon is joining the fray. Whether or not we call it “cloud-based” gaming, the anticipation for online game distribution has grown as of late. While they have set nothing in stone in stone yet, we saw Google and Microsoft announce their different Projects back in October last year.
The thing that will be the most fascinating to find out would be the service in which will come into play. Most likely, we could see a service that would emulate Netflix which would be something like “on-demand video streaming.” Through the company server, they would store the game, and then stream it to the player’s device. If they do the service right, you can have users enjoy a game without having to install or download it.
Will this be the case for what Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have in mind? That will be difficult to say, but let’s look at the three services and that and see where it will take us. More information may drop in the coming months, but since Amazon wanted to announce their service right away, let’s see what everyone has to offer.
Forbes, Amazon is the second biggest computing vendor back in November 2017, beating Google and IBM. For Amazon, it isn’t about matching what Microsoft can do (to who was at the top of that list), but rather to provide a simple but brilliant service to customers that everyone would enjoy.
In their story covering, “Why Amazon Won’t Catch #1 Microsoft In The Cloud,” Contributor Bob Evans said it was “All About Software.” A fair point considering that Amazon’s focus isn’t the Cloud services as much as it is about its e-commerce. Someone can say same about how Microsoft’s focus isn’t the Xbox One as much as it is their computing service, but you get the idea. Not that having a Cloud gaming service will be that meal ticket to propel them higher, but it would be a big start. Between it and Amazon Video Streaming services, you could say that Amazon is looking to take a bigger cut of the Cloud Pie.
We know that Amazon has made their arrangements overtime for something in the gaming world (such as gaining Double Helix, who made Killer Instinct). We might see them make a move soon enough now they announced this service.
So what conclusion can we draw about cloud gaming?
Much like any other kinds of gaming (or streaming), there is a lot of variables that go into this. For the Digital Foundry video, many pointed out where example the main data center was located. Even in Microsoft’s Project xCloud video, the pointed out that while they plan to have several data stations around the world, their first location is in Quincy, Washington. Something to which you could say would not end well for people who might live in New York if Quincy was the only location whereas California residents likely will have a better time.
Perhaps the thing that fascinates me the most about all of this is how cloud gaming can be seen in a different light from what we’ve grown accustomed to. We don’t bring up PCs when we talk about “The Big Three” and the future of cloud gaming could be in an entirely different level of gaming altogether. It isn’t like Google and Amazon will compete against Sony and Nintendo in a “Cloud vs Console” struggle while Microsoft gets to enjoy the best of both. Still, it could be likely if we were to see exclusive titles on either streaming platform.
The future is uncertain, but it will be fun to see how it progresses. We could look at the future of gaming, or an alternative for those who might not afford a new console or PC. Not to mention who knows what the overall cost would be for this kind of service. We’ll find out soon enough, but until we do, it is best not to leave your head in the clouds (or at least not for the moment).
So what do you think of the future of cloud gaming?
Will it be able to compete against the current way of playing? Will it change the way we look at the costs of PCs or game consoles? And will get more details on cloud gaming as the year progresses? Be sure to follow us here at Culture of Gaming for more articles on all things gaming and other fancy goodies coming out of Amazon and Google.
