Video gaming is addictive. It transcends barriers like age, gender or geographic location. Cloud Gaming is fast emerging as the new frontier for the Gaming industry as it has revolutionized the market the same way as Netflix revamped the video industry. We often tend to underestimate the scale of the video-gaming industry. The fact is that it is a $150Bn+ industry, larger than film and music industries and is growing rapidly throughout the world.
Cloud Gaming is also referred to as Gaming-on-Demand as it allows the user to play a game on any device without requiring physical hardware or a local copy of the game. As the world of gaming shifts from traditional consoles, cloud gaming is becoming attractive to gamers because it saves time and money for them by eliminating the need to purchase hardware or download/upgrade games. They also don’t need space to store games as the entire gaming experience is cloud-based.
How does cloud gaming impact the gaming experience?
Access to games: Games that were previously unavailable without specific hardware are now accessible to all gamers.
Uninterrupted Gameplay: Being platform-agnostic, the same game can be played, paused and continued from multiple devices.
Updated in-game content: Gamers have access to the latest version of the game irrespective of their device or location.
Security: User information is protected by industrial security standards, making hacking that much harder.
Industry Giants entering this lucrative segment
Internet giants like Google, Microsoft and Tencent have already entered the cloud gaming market. This clearly shows that the market is beginning to recognize the opportunity that cloud gaming presents.
- Microsoft recently announced that it will open its xCloud game streaming service to the public later this year.
- Google also unveiled its cloud gaming platform ‘Stadia’ to the world in March 2019.
- Ubisoft is partnering with Google on Stadia, building on their learnings with Project Stream via Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
- Amazon and Apple are also reportedly exploring to enter the cloud gaming market.
What’s in store?
Statista predicts that by 2021, there will be 2.73 billion gamers worldwide. Cloud computing has solved many of the problems experienced by both gamers and the game developers. With industry titans such as Google and Microsoft leading the way, it is easy to see what is in store. However, with great scale comes greater responsibility. As gaming becomes mainstream, the industry can expect more scrutiny and regulations, specifically with a focus on kids.
As the market heats up, we will also probably see some interesting acquisitions and partnerships happening. It will also be interesting to see how the subscription models will develop in the coming days.
Cloud will continue to enable the gaming market with scalable access and uninterrupted streaming of games.
Business on Cloud Series
The ‘Cloud’ in Cloud computing refers to a centralized location on the internet that stores data, making it accessible anytime, anywhere, from any connected device. It gives companies the benefit of flexibility, ease of use and automation, while saving costs. It saves time and money by boosting productivity and improving collaboration. In short, it allows you to do more with less.
The applications of the cloud technologies are many. In fact, it is already all around us and we all are using the cloud in one way or the other, every day. In our series – ‘Business on Cloud’, we are going to explore the applicability, benefits and opportunities of cloud on various industries.
