Microsoft is having a very busy 2018 as they are working on bringing new services like cloud gaming with Project xCloud and more. To discuss the present and the future, Microsoft recently held a yearly meeting with shareholders to discuss various topics. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft took the stage to discuss the future plans of the company. He also talked about how Microsoft is aggressively investing in content, community and cloud services to expand their engagement with gamers. In gaming, we’re pursuing an expansive opportunity from the way the games are created and distributed to how they’re played and viewed. And we’re investing aggressively in the content, community and cloud services across every endpoint to expand the usage and deepen engagement with gamers, including the 57 million monthly Xbox Live users. Finally, we added seven new gaming studios to bolster the first party content for fast growing gaming services like Xbox Game Pass subscription … [Read more...] about Microsoft Talks About Investing Aggressively in Cloud Gaming and Content
Mobile cloud gaming
EA Suggests Cloud Gaming to be a Part of PS5 and Xbox Scarlet
EA has finally responded to the future of console gaming by suggesting that cloud streaming should be a part of it. PS5 and Xbox Scarlet are rumored to be the names of upcoming consoles and EA believes in working with both Sony and Microsoft for many more years. Microsoft confirmed at E3 that they are working on a new console and PS5 is also said to be in works by Sony. It’s pretty obvious that all of these gaming giants including Nintendo will release a new console sometime in the future. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged these rumors and said that there’s some time till we will get to know about these new consoles. He also suggested that cloud gaming should be taken more seriously with the upcoming consoles. There are a few articles out there; a few rumours; and a little hearsay as to what [the new consoles are] and when they’re coming and what they might be,” Wilson said. “I don’t think we’re in a position today to have a … [Read more...] about EA Suggests Cloud Gaming to be a Part of PS5 and Xbox Scarlet
Electronic Arts Talks Experimenting With Free to Play, Cross-Play, and Cloud Gaming
During today’s financial conference call for investors and analysts, Electronic Arts Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson and Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen talked about a few interesting topics like free-to-play, cross-platform, and cloud gaming. Jorgensen mentioned that Electronic Arts is “interested in possibly experimenting” with a free to play stand-alone game that might be a shooter or another genre, but that’s not something they’re looking at for the Battlefield franchise for the moment. Later in the call, Jorgensen explained that the publisher has been building free to play games in Asia for over ten years. They also have Star Wars: The Old Republic, and they are always looking at new models. They’re looking at a lot of the old franchises that they have, and asking themselves the question on whether there’s an opportunity to have a free to play version. Wilson also mentioned that Electronic Arts is looking at key … [Read more...] about Electronic Arts Talks Experimenting With Free to Play, Cross-Play, and Cloud Gaming
Can You Replace Gaming PCs With Shadow Cloud Gaming?
Shadow is a streaming service that grants you access to a full-on, high-end Windows 10 PC in the cloud. This means that you can stream PC games from a gaming rig located on a remote server to any cruddy old computer you have lying around. While this might sound a little like the now defunct OnLive service, OnLive was marred by issues like heavy compression, latency, and poor game selection. Shadow, developed by the Blade Group, has largely mitigated most of these problems. And since it streams a full-on desktop PC and not just a curated library of games, you could also use it to launch all your Steam games and for productivity tasks like video editing. In addition, you can stream it to numerous devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, MacBooks, and more. Shadow suggest that the PCs in its server farms are the equivalent to a $2,000 gaming PC. The monthly subscription service starts at $35 per month, and might be a compelling option given the current cost-prohibitive price of GPUs … [Read more...] about Can You Replace Gaming PCs With Shadow Cloud Gaming?
Microsoft purchases cloud gaming platform PlayFab
Microsoft announced today that it has acquired PlayFab, a "complete backend platform for live games" that is used in more than 1200 games, including Killing Floor 2, Pathfinder Adventures, Battletech, and Planetary Annihilation. The company described the move as "an important step forward for gaming at Microsoft" and said that it will help make the creation of connected games more accessible for smaller-scale developers. PlayFab is a premade platform that provides a range of online services and analytics that enable developers "to focus on building great games instead of backend technology," the company said on its blog. The technology will compliment Microsoft's Azure cloud-based server infrastructure, which currently has servers operating in 42 locations around the world. "Our platform of scalable game services, game analytics, and LiveOps tools are helping more than 3,000 studios progress from shipping static software to creating games that scale gracefully and … [Read more...] about Microsoft purchases cloud gaming platform PlayFab