Even stranger is Nvidia’s approach. Their system only allows you to stream games you already own the PC version of through a 3rd party digital store.
Which only makes a lick of sense if you plan to launch a store. But they’re going with a monthly fee (though it’s a free beta right now).
What’s worse is they neglected to negotiate with certain devs and publishers to host certain games. And in other cases apparently never followed up with major publishers and devs who agreed to participate in the test period. Leading to the bulk of available, popular titles being pulled just as the beta expanded and they keyed up to launch the full version.
So it’s basically what Steam already allows you to do, but from the cloud rather than your PC. Sans the very useful digital store. And they clearly don’t know enough about media licensing to handle it. Producers clearly don’t like what they’re seeing, and rather than lining up they’re fleeing.
It’s all quite strange. The major consoles are already doing a sort of Netflix for games with limited sets of titles available as part of monthly online fees. But in more sensible download it fashion.
Steam and most digital stores are already sorta doing that with their various free week/weekends for select games. And Epic with their regular free copies of stuff (GOG also does that but much less agressively). But for free, to foster sales in the digital store front.
The whole cloud gaming thing in aggregate looks a lot like a bunch of tech companies trying to thread the needle. They want something that won’t technically compete with existing stores or consoles. Won’t require them to give much money to game companies. But will let them step in to replace consoles when that’s a thing.
So basically standard disruption. A solution that doesn’t work, to a problem that doesn’t exist. In service of fucking some one else out of money.
