Cloud gaming

Microsoft today passed a major hurdle in completing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, with the UK’s CMA providing preliminary approval of the deal, and that signals some great things for the future of cloud gaming.

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It’s been roughly a year since Amazon Luna first launched its cloud gaming service to everyone, and to celebrate its anniversary, the service is expanding to three new regions – the UK, Germany, and Canada.

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Cloud gaming has seen some losses over the past few months, but Microsoft is pushing some new life into the industry. As it continues to push for its Activision-Blizzard deal, Microsoft just reached a major deal with cloud gaming service Boosteroid that will bring Xbox games and Activision-Blizzard titles, including Call of Duty, to the service.

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It seems that when Google shut down Stadia for consumers, Google Cloud also formally discontinued its B2B offering, “Immersive Stream for Games.”

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Whether you’re gaming in the cloud or mainlining the hottest mobile games, the Razer Edge 5G is hands-down the best hardware for the job. But who really needs a dedicated Android gaming handheld?

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In new statistics shared by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we’ve learned that Google Stadia had significantly fewer active users than most other cloud gaming services.

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Google Stadia was a large name in the cloud gaming community. With a couple of different subscription models, it hit a sweet spot for a lot of users. With it gone, there are a few potential homes gamers might flock to. With that, we turn it over to our readers to tell us what your favorite cloud gaming alternative is now that Stadia is out of the picture.

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Out of all of the current game streaming services, Xbox Game Pass is the one most likely to succeed in all the ways that Stadia failed, but Microsoft still has a lot of catching up to do.

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One of the first “gaming” ChromeOS devices, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is the definitive device for cloud gaming, even if that’s an oxymoron.

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One of the earliest cloud gaming providers, Shadow, is in some ways the antithesis of Stadia, but it’s sometimes better for it.

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Nvidia GeForce Now is currently the only cloud gaming service to match the level of streaming quality and low latency of Google Stadia, even exceeding it in some areas.

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Update: NVIDIA has moved the pre-order date up to today because their “partners are so excited about SHIELD.”

Back in January NVIDIA introduced its handheld Android gaming system, SHIELD, and most people reacted to this ambitious project with skepticism. Today NVIDIA moved closer to silencing their critics by announcing preorders and delivery details for the device. Beginning today, gamers can preorder the SHIELD for $349 via an exclusive offer, all others will have to wait until next Monday. To be eligible for the the early-access preorder you must sign up to be notified of SHIELD news and updates. NVIDIA is targeting a June release date with availability at Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center and Canada Computers.

SHIELD gamers will have access to the NVIDIA TegraZone, Google Play and Steam digital gaming stores, while they can grab their movies, music and apps from the Google Play Store. As expected from a hardcore graphics company, NVIDIA has packed this handheld with some serious firepower including the Tegra 4 processor which is claimed to be “the world’s fastest mobile processor.” The SHIELD also features a console-grade controller, 5-inch, 720p retinal multi-touch display and built-in 802.11n WiFi. Only time will tell if the emergence of dedicated Android gaming devices will pressure Apple into creating their own.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93L_lo-s5rU?list=PLZHnYvH1qtOaufFa3lSxQMGqExnU85QYD]

OnLive showcased its cloud-based gaming platform on LG’s G2 Google TV sets today during the E3 conference in Los Angeles.

The company highlighted its Universal OnLive Wireless Controller with the LG G2 TV, and then detailed its “growing library of hundreds of top-tier, console-class video games on-demand” with demos available for every title. The sneak peaks allow up to 30 minutes of free gameplay, so players can give any title a complete test-drive. From there, gamers can buy “a la carte” or subscribe to OnLive’s PlayPack subscription service for unlimited on-demand play. Of course, OnLive games are also accessible on almost any Android, iOS, etc., tablet or smartphone with a broadband or Wi-Fi connection thanks to its cloud service.

“It’s always been our mission to make top-quality gaming accessible to everyone, everywhere,” said OnLive’s founder and CEO Steve Perlman in a press release. “OnLive adds no cost to LG Smart TVs, but delivers a full console-class experience. We’re excited to make on-demand top-tier gaming an integral part of the living room entertainment system on LG’s state-of-the-art TVs.”

Perlman previously announced on the official Google TV Blog in January that his cloud-gaming platform would launch on Google TV as an application.

OnLive revealed its social features for Google TV called “OnLive Viewer” at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show, but it elaborated today and said account holders can watch millions of gamers play live, capture videos of their gameplay, and share exploits with Facebook friends. Additional social functions enable OnLive users to exclusively watch, interact, and chat with friends in the new MultiView mode.

The LG G2 Series comes equipped with the Google TV platform, the L9 dual-core chipset, and full HD 3D. LG’s Google TV model is the first smart TV set to integrate OnLive on-demand gameplay.

The full press release is below.

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