Cloud gaming, something that I have dived into now and then with increasingly promising results. Microsoft’s xCloud service bundled together with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a wonderful addition. These pilot programmes have been feeling out a market over the past few years and companies are now seeking potential partnerships with cloud services.
Sega have turned to Microsoft to jump into cloud game releases, a move that seeks to streamline their development and market strategy. This is not surprising to me as Microsoft have an established platform and may be able to bolster Sega’s position for forthcoming releases. Cloud gaming seems to be taking off with an increasing number of publishers wanting to extend their reach towards users that have ample internet connections, freeing them from specific hardware requirements.
If this move is an effort to have a slice of the pie that companies deem as vast and untapped market, it may pay off in the long run. Square Enix announced it would be brining its hit series, Kingdom Hearts to the Nintendo Switch through cloud gaming. This news did not sit well with fans and raises concerns over the future of the phasing out of physical releases and digital ownership that are forever at the mercy of vendors and licensing issues. I now seldomly buy physical releases of digital software, games and entertainment but for now, cloud gaming is an optional bonus for me. I still like to own and play my digital purchases offline.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/sega-microsoft-explore-cloud-gaming-alliance-2021-11-01/