Live Service Games Get a Boost Through Google Cloud
Gaming is no longer just the pastime of children but a booming industry with millions of fans worldwide. Google Cloud is looking to capitalize on this trend by unveiling its new gaming strategy, Google Cloud for Live Games.
The initiative's primary goal is to use global infrastructure to enable game companies to become more agile and responsive. This will include offering cloud gaming services for developers and publishers, allowing them to scale quickly according to the demand of gamers around the world.
It also recognizes the importance of cloud gaming services in today’s industry. Many popular games like Fortnite, Warzone, and Genshin Impact rely on the cloud for uninterrupted gaming experiences.
Google's Stadia cloud gaming service was deemed unsuccessful. However, Google Cloud's live service technology is designed to enable game companies to have smooth launches and scalability of up to millions of users.
Live service games, or games that are updated regularly and offer ongoing content, have become increasingly popular. Players spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year on live service games. With Google Cloud, it will be easier for developers to access the necessary resources to provide a high-quality gaming experience.
Jack Buser, director of game industry solutions at Google Cloud, said this was the next step in game development: “The Google Cloud leadership decided they wanted to have a global games organization. And they tapped me to come on over and lead it,” Buser said.
The gaming industry has evolved into one of the most lucrative markets from what was previously a niche market. Google became more involved with the gaming industry when it saw how popular live services games were becoming, such as Supercell’s mobile game generating USD1.9 billion in revenue last year.
“The top games are all live service games, all of them,” Buser said. “So whether it be a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, or whether it be a live service mobile game, or whether it be a battle royal. The common thread is that these games are being updated over the long term based on player behavior, wants, and desires.”
Image credit: iStockphoto/gorodenkoff
