Cloud play on the horizon in changing video game world

LOS ANGELES -- Console makers long at the center of the video game universe are adapting to an exploding constellation of ways to play, with the cloud looming on the horizon.

Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony remained stars, with rival Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch gaming hardware respectively, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) show floor that opened in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

But the premier industry gathering was very much focused on games themselves, and the idea they can be played as a service hosted in the internet cloud using an array of devices from smartphones to personal computers.

The annual E3 event "occurs against a backdrop of disruption in the console market," according to IHS Markit games technology research director Piers Harding-Rolls.

"As the market becomes more digitally enabled and service based, console companies and publishers are starting to map out their longer-term strategies including the building out of subscription cloud gaming services," Harding-Rolls told AFP.

Companies interested in cloud gaming see it as a way to reach broader audiences, adding to console businesses instead of taking away from them, according to the analyst.

"I see consoles being around or the foreseeable future," Harding-Rolls said.

Shifting terrain

But the competitive landscape will tilt away from console-market leading PlayStation to terrain more favorable to Xbox, he reasoned.

Microsoft has built a powerful platform for hosting computing in the internet cloud, making such service a thriving part of its business.

“We commit and harness the full breadth of our resources at Microsoft to deliver on the future of play," Xbox team leader Phil Spencer said at an E3 briefing.

The Redmond, Washington-based technology veteran has also invested heavily in machine learning, naming its Cortana digital assistant after an artificial intelligence character in blockbuster Xbox video game "Halo."

Spencer also said that Microsoft is working on a cloud service for streaming console-quality games to internet-linked devices.

"If you agree that the eventual future of games consumption is through cloud gaming services, then those companies with a strong position in cloud are likely to be best placed to benefit from the transition," Harding-Rolls said.

"In this context, Microsoft's cloud division gives the company a natural advantage when trying to build a profitable business."

Sony and Microsoft have each put out word they are working on next-generation consoles, but planned capabilities have yet to be revealed.

PlayStation 4 has dominated the current console generation, briskly outselling Xbox One.

But if the video game world shifts to Microsoft's strengths, its new competition in play could become cloud and AI titans such as Amazon, Google, Tencent, and Alibaba, according to Harding-Rolls.

Learning from mobile

The video game industry is seeing its biggest investment ever, with the three big consoles "very healthy," according to Electronic Software Association chief executive Michael Gallagher.

The ESA trade group organizes E3, with 60,000 industry insiders and gamers from some 100 countries expected to attend the three-day gathering.

Video game industry revenue worldwide tallied about $116 billion last year, according to the ESA.

Console makers have been taking lessons from mobile games, building online communities of players who provide feedback; stream play; subscribe to services, and spend money on digital content such as dance moves or funky clothing for characters.

"Mobile has been a fantastic growth point for the industry," Gallagher said.


Console video game titan Bethesda is unabashedly bridging the divide between console and mobile play with versions of blockbusters "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls" for play on smartphones or tablets.

"I can't wait to play it," Gallagher said of "Elder Scrolls: Blades" that will be available free for iPhones or Android-powered mobile devices when it is released later this year.

Another sign of console-quality play making its way to mobile devices came in the form of telecom giant AT&T showing off ultra high-speed 5G wireless data capabilities on the E3 show floor.

Super-fast internet service is seen as key to rich, seamless game play.

"Exponential increases in computing power, storage and speed will lead to the streaming of realistic, systemic, densely populated and persistent game worlds to any screen," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive of French video game powerhouse Ubisoft.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Microsoft challenges Sony with powerful new Xbox One X

WASHINGTON - Microsoft on Sunday unveiled Xbox One X -- billing it as the most powerful video console ever made, and escalating a battle with market king PlayStation.

The $499 product was built with the muscle for seamless play on ultra-high definition 4K televisions and will be available worldwide on November 7, according to Xbox team leader Phil Spencer.

He introduced the much anticipated Xbox One X, called Scorpio during development, at a Microsoft event ahead of the official opening of the major Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Aiming at the hearts of gamers, Microsoft also showed off 42 coming games, with 22 titles being tailored for exclusive play on Xbox One consoles.

Independent publishers tend to make blockbuster titles available for play on Xbox, PlayStation and personal computer hardware in an effort to sell creations to as broad an audience as possible.

Keenly-anticipated new games shown off here include a new installment of "Assassin's Creed" from France-based Ubisoft, intended to reboot the long-running franchise by taking players back to the "origins" of the storyline in ancient Egypt.

Game play on 4K screens, whether they be televisions or personal computer monitors, is expected to be among themes at E3 this week. Enabling ultra-rich visuals also tunes into the budding trend toward virtual reality games.

SWITCH SUPPLIES TIGHT

Sony PlayStation 4 has dominated the latest generation of consoles, outselling Xbox One by 2-to-1, according to industry trackers.

PS4 consoles from the outset could power virtual reality, and Sony sells head gear for those experiences.

PlayStation has also become the prime driver of revenue and profit at Japan-based entertainment giant Sony, according to executives.

“We are selling every single one we can make,” Sony Interactive Entertainment worldwide studios chairman Shawn Layden said of PS4.

Nintendo's recently-launched Switch has been a winner, with fans snapping up the console and a "Legend of Zelda" game that has become a must-play title for fans.

Demand for Switch consoles has been so intense since its launch early this year that the consoles are tough to find in stores and Nintendo has reportedly doubled production.

Switch launched at the start of March and some 2.74 million were sold by the end of that month, according to Nintendo.

Hot Switch sales also boosted shares of the Japanese company, which ran into a tough patch after it failed to build on the popularity of the first generation of Wii consoles.

PS4 and Xbox One are both performing better in the market that their respective predecessors, and Nintendo “is back in a big way” with Switch, according to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella.

Sony has sold close to 60 million PS4 consoles and will reveal its latest innovations and offerings at a press event on Monday, according to executives.
"We are in the 4K world already," Layden told AFP. "That is what the future of gaming is going to look like."

OLD GAMES MADE NEW

Microsoft is also courting players by working to make more popular games from earlier Xbox console versions playable on its latest hardware.

Microsoft also just launched a subscription service for Xbox, letting players pay a monthly fee for access to a videogames library for its console.

Sony makes a library of videogames available as part of a subscription service for PlayStation consoles.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nintendo sees transformation, but won't forget 'Mario'

LOS ANGELES -- Nintendo played to "Super Mario" fans on Tuesday while talking transformation as the Japanese video game giant strived to regain momentum.

"If there is a secret to the longevity of Nintendo franchises, it is transformation," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said during a presentation streamed online before the show floor opened at an Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game extravaganza here.

"We never let them stand still."

 While console rivals Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were stars of theatrical E3 media events in Los Angeles a day earlier, Nintendo opted to go digital for the second year.

Xbox and PlayStation consoles from Microsoft and Sony, respectively, are known for immersive, action-packed games nearing film quality while Nintendo has built a devoted following for closely-protected franchises such as Mario and Legend of Zelda.

But the one-time industry titan has long been criticized for its refusal to license some of its iconic brands for use on mobile applications.

In a sign that Nintendo may be loosening its grip a bit, Fils-Aime announced a partnership with Activision to add "Donkey Kong" and "Bowser" characters to the video game publisher's successful Skylanders line-up.

Skylanders has been a hit with real-world figurines embedded with chips that synchronize them to arena-style platforms plugged into consoles, essentially letting youngsters carry about customized champions they can drop into on-screen games.

Donkey Kong and Bowser will have vehicles and be part of a Skylanders SuperChargers offering from Activision in September. The play pieces will also work as "amiibos" in compatible Nintendo games.

Super Mario turns 30

Nintendo also said it will mark the 30th anniversary of its iconic "Super Mario" franchise this year with the release in September of a game that will let people create their own levels for play.

The Japanese video game stalwart on Tuesday launched a LetsSuperMario.com website where lovers of the franchise can upload video tributes.

Fils-Amie said that Nintendo's transformation includes broadening out into theme parks, mobile devices, and even a new dedicated game platform about which it will reveal more next year.

At E3 this week, Nintendo will provide early looks at new installments to beloved franchises including Star Fox, Yoshi, Metroid, and Mario & Luigi.

Nintendo's offerings were tailored for Wii U and its 3DS handheld gaming devices that have lost luster as lifestyles turn to play on smartphones or tablets.

The Kyoto-based company hopes to offset weakening demand for its 3DS portable game system with plans to jump into the booming smartphone games market -- a long awaited departure from its consoles-only policy.

"A new source of revenue is expected from a gaming application for smart devices which will be released this year," Nintendo said after releasing earnings figures in May.

In March, Nintendo unveiled plans to buy a stake in Tokyo-based mobile gaming company DeNA as part of a deal to develop smartphone games based on Nintendo's host of popular characters.

Fils-Amie described Nintendo's E3 line-up as "familiar characters and franchises transformed in unexpected ways that can only be found on Nintendo systems.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Virtual reality to get real at E3 video game show

An attendee tries on the Oculus VR Inc. Rift Development Kit 2 headset at the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, in this file photo. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Files/Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO -- Virtual reality and the battle to stream play online will take center stage at an Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game extravaganza kicking off in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Blockbuster video games will once again be the main event at the industry's biggest trade show, but in the wings attention will go to the promise of stepping into the games virtually and streaming them as spectator sport.

"Like every year, E3 will be about the marquee video game titles that will take the world by storm," TechSavvy analyst Scott Steinberg told AFP on Saturday.

"But, there are side battles going on. YouTube is making a play to be the absolute destination for gamers, but Twitch has a strong position. Of course, you have virtual reality."

Analysts expect this E3 to be a coming-of-age of sorts for virtual reality, which has been around for decades but remained an unfulfilled promise for gamers eager to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds.

Facebook-owned virtual reality firm Oculus has promised hands-on demonstrations of games at E3.

Oculus aimed squarely at video game lovers on Thursday as it unveiled Rift headsets that it will begin selling early next year. However, it did not disclose pricing for Rift, which will come with an Xbox controller due to an alliance with console maker Microsoft.

"There was always this distance between players and the game," said Oculus Studios head Jason Rubin. "Virtual reality lets you step through that window."

Sony's big presence at E3 will include demonstrations on Project Morpheus virtual reality headgear it is readying for market.

"Immersive technologies have a lot more to offer than video games, but it is a great place to start," said Gartner analyst Brian Blau.

"Game developers know how to get people immersed in graphical simulations better than anybody; it is natural to think they will be first in line to create content."

Blau expected the virtual reality market to be fiercely competitive.

YouTube takes on Twitch

Meanwhile Google-owned YouTube will be facing off with Twitch at E3, where it will preview a version of its video-sharing platform tailored for gamers.

YouTube is creating an online arena devoted to video game play, jumping onto a hot "e-sports" trend and challenging leading video game play broadcasting platform Twitch.

YouTube Gaming will debut in Britain and the United States in the coming months, according to product manager Alan Joyce.

"YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else," Joyce said in a blog post.

Similarly, Amazon-owned Twitch will have a strong presence at E3, with plans to live-stream press conferences, demos and interviews.

Twitch, which was acquired by Amazon last year for $970 million in cash, will augment its English-language broadcast with regionalized shows from partners including Rocket Beans TV in German and Jeuxvideo in French.

San Francisco-based Twitch streams games being played for non-playing viewers to watch and hosts gaming events. It also allows viewers to chat with the players and others, lending it some of the qualities of social networking websites.

Twitch capabilities are built into new-generation Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.

'More ambitious than ever'
US video game titan Bethesda is holding its first-ever major media event late Sunday in the Dolby Theater, best known as the home of the Academy Awards.

Bethesda has promised to show off a keenly-anticipated new installment to the "Fallout" post-apocalyptic action game franchise.

"We know what this game means to everyone," game director Todd Howard said in a release. "The time and technology have allowed us to be more ambitious than ever."

In keeping with years past, the day before E3 officially opens will be packed with theatrical media events revealing scenes from new versions of much-loved games on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Wii U consoles.

Winning game franchises getting new installments will include Batman, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect and Call of Duty.

"You are going to see more of the same, only better," Steinberg said of game makers' trend towards safe bets on franchises with strong followings.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com