Amazon’s Emerging 3D Gaming Cloud
Amazon’s cloud services are synonymous with reliability and flexibility. Now Amazon is thinking about the next frontier in cloud computing which many experts think is 3D gaming and high end graphics performance within the cloud. Imagine living in a world where you don’t have to download gaming software locally. With this model, consumers would purchase their game that resides in the cloud without having to use local hard drive space or load up a DVD in order to install the game. The 3D application would be available as soon as the consumer purchases it. Amazon’s infrastructure is expected to calm any worries about latency issues involving these types of applications.
Amazon’s existing infrastructure will be able to deliver gaming content for a fraction of what other providers cost. Since Amazon’s infrastructure is already in place, it removes many of the challenges that start-up companies such as OnLive have encountered. The costs associated with streaming one hour of gaming into a household are only a few cents. This makes games that get released for free through the cloud a more enticing and profitable proposition should the game sell add-ons, release shareware editions or re-release older games.
PlayCast is a business that operates under this model in countries such as Korea, Portugal and France. PlayCast should be released in the United States in Q1 2014. PlayCast’s CEO was recently quoted as saying “The actual user experience works.” The gaming platform will most likely be released under a brand name that consumers are already familiar with using while utilizing the Amazon cloud. No announcements have been made in regards to which company will champion this idea however PlayCast already has existing partnerships with Atari, Capcom, Sega, THQ, Warner Brothers and others. If high end graphics take off with the cloud infrastructure, waiting in line at midnight to buy the biggest upcoming game may become a thing of the past.
