Game Streaming Platforms and Technology (xCloud, PSNow, Stadia, GeforceNow, Luna)

Maybe Google offers Sony their whole Stadia build out instead of shit canning it (if/when that happens).

 

Netflix runs on AWS...which is impressive when you think of the scale it requires. Sony could do something similar but they would be restricted to Amazon's hardware. I believe their graphics compute instances use Nvidia.

 

Netflix and game streaming is a little different though. Game streaming much more involved. But I agree; Sony is with AWS already, it would just be a continuation.

 

It's different but the major hurdle is the data center/network infrastructure that can handle scale...which AWS solves.

Sony is with AWS? In what capacity? PS Now?

 

I think their PS network if I understand it correctly.

 

I would say the biggest hurdle with game streaming is less to do with just scale but where and how many data centers (nodes) are.

Unlike normal streaming where latency isn't as big an issue. You could have a huge data center in the middle of nowhere.

 

True I guess for game streaming in particular ideally you'd have many smaller data centers spread around as opposed to a few large data centers covering a large area.

I still don't know if a company like Sony would have the capital/ambition to pull that off.

 

Wouldn't make any sense Sony trying to roll out their own data centers if that was what was being proposed.
Using Amazon, Google or/and MS and getting their hardware hosted is the only real viable route.
Wonder if they could sell back usage by running a vm Linux on it, when usage is low. Its where MS probably has a good opportunity to offset costs in comparison.

 

Nvidia’s GeForce Now is losing all Activision Blizzard games
https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/11/...ow-no-more-activision-blizzard-games-carriage

 

It sure is a relief not caring about cloud game streaming or Activision-Blizzard. If they want to leverage their catalog to secure special deals with certain cloud streaming services and restrict the ways their existing customers can access their games, then go for it. This added business friction is only going to make selling people on this new distribution model harder. The industry needs the equivalent of an itunes or Netflix that works as a universally approved proof-of-concept before everyone starts trying to carve things up.

 

Ouch.

 

This makes me wonder if a cloud exclusivity agreement was made by either Microsoft or Google.

 

Yeah that's what I was wondering. Expect exclusivity announcement at some point.

 

This is my biggest issue with trusting any cloud service with my gaming library. My library is not in their control. I could sign up when it looks good but it could look abysmal in three months time.

 

It's more of an issue with GeForce Now... the service and the stores are de-coupled.

 

At least you still own and can play your game you bought for full price. Just not in their cloud.

 

Google imo seems more likely at this point . Hope that Activision sees a consequence from loss of future sales.

 

Activision likely wants some sort of revenue from being used in virtual cafe environments, I imagine.

 

In a way publisher's are leaning towards control over the hardware environment you decide to use for your "purchased" games.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/352...ulled-its-games-from-nvidias-geforce-now.html

 

If I was a publisher & I had a choice where my games were played I'm sure I would be picky too. Especially if I didn't own my own hardware or cloud platform. Different platforms could have different performance or user experiences. You might get better deals pitting one cloud platform against another. One would hope that publishers want the best for their customers, but ultimately they're a business looking after their bottom line.

Tommy McClain