Enough downloads, it’s time to stream games from the cloud

Cloud gaming allows gamers to play games without requiring powerful hardware, as they can use the power of the cloud to stream games directly to their devices. Google recently announced its Stadia (cloud-based gaming platform), while Microsoft’s platform is currently called xCloud.

“Stadia provides instant access to the game,” Phil Harrison, vice president of Google, said at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) earlier this year. months before being made public.

The same goes for Microsoft’s platform, which has so far only been the subject of rumors, but was confirmed at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019?) This week. “We are expanding the program globally. We have deployed the blades of the xCloud project in data centers in 13 regions around the world. We have also started our alpha testing, ”Mark Skwarski, senior product marketing manager at Xbox, told reporters.

Cloud gaming removes a big hurdle in gaming, that of hardware requirements. Until now, gamers have needed consoles, high-end computers, or at the very least a good phone to play the best games. These items can cost a pretty penny and should be upgraded regularly as well. With cloud gaming, this problem can be alleviated, making gaming more accessible to gamers around the world.

“By making it more accessible, cloud gaming will attract more people to the industry,” said Ankur Diwakar, a professional gamer who has represented India at international gaming events. He believes the move could attract more. of players in the fold, especially in a country like India.

According to Diwakar, gamers in India no longer face as many internet bandwidth issues as they once did. As a result, ping times (the time it takes for data to arrive from a game’s servers to your device) have been significantly reduced. As a result, multiplayer play is now easier and it is also easier to make a career in the game.

That said, Diwakar believes the impact of cloud gaming would depend on the quality of graphics that companies are able to deliver using the cloud. “When we first played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas all those years ago there were four CDs, it’s a big game,” he said, explaining that the size of the game will also be a factor.

However, Google has shown examples of how users can just press a Play Now button while watching someone’s game clip on YouTube, and jump right into the game. The company has even tested Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. , one of the most graphically advanced games today, on the Stadia platform.

According to Sat Mayekar, a professional gamer, the link between video and games provides an opportunity for revenue sharing. This could inspire more people to make their own game videos and profit from them. Mayekar also believes subscription services advertised through platforms like Stadia will make games cheaper to purchase.

Microsoft’s xCloud service was announced in October 2018 and is expected to be ready for public testing soon. Being a more console-centric business, it would be interesting to see what xCloud can do with Microsoft’s powerful Xbox hardware combined with the power of its Azure cloud service.

Device makers, on the other hand, are enthusiastic. “It is only a matter of time before cloud-based gaming and streaming services become mainstream, globally and in India,” said David Li, Managing Director of BlackShark India, adding that the society adopted this decision. BlackShark is a Xiaomi backed company that recently launched its first gaming phone in India.

In the end, cloud gaming seems like a natural progression for video games. What was once made with game cartridges eventually evolved into CDs. This was followed by games directly downloaded from online stores, meaning the next step might just be to stream them from anywhere.

Google Stadia

■ Launch planned for November at $ 9.99 per month with 31 games

■ It will work on Internet browsers of all PCs, phones, tablets and TVs connected to Chromecast

■ Google offers a Wi-Fi compatible controller to control games on Stadia

Microsoft Project xCloud

■ Will allow gamers to stream over 3000 Xbox games to Android devices, PCs and consoles

■ Its public preview will be available in October

■ Users can play games using the Xbox Wireless Controller or the touchscreen