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Not just xCloud but streaming in general is going to play a large role in the future of video games. Mega corporations such as Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and Google, have been investing far too much money in streaming to not try and make it a big part of their plans in the coming years.
Even big time competitors Microsoft and Sony have teamed up to find ways to make streaming more efficient and viable for their customers. Earlier this year Google made a splash with their announcement of Google Stadia.; a gaming platform that is stream only but promises to deliver a high quality game playing experience to customers are nearly any device.
This very morning, Google has released more information with their very first Stadia Connect. In the connect press video Google went into more detail about how Stadia will work and announced that it is releasing later this year in November.
So yes, game streaming is coming and soon. With that said, it’s still very important to define what role game streaming will play. It wont take over traditional consoles and PC gaming as we know it, at least not in the immediate future. We have seen what Google’s initial plans are for streaming so what can Microsoft do with xCloud to not only combat google head on, but also win the hearts and minds of a profitable segment of the larger gaming community?
People are resistant to change, it’s natural and gamers are no different Playing games on console and PC as they currently stand is comfortable and works. Google Stadia is looking to completely circumvent the status quo by being a streaming platform only, that means no hardware outside of a screen to play on. While Google’s vision may prove successful, I believe Microsoft needs to take a different approach in order to bridge the comfortably gap between consumers and streaming technology.
Compliment Current Gaming Hardware Don’t Replace It
The initial xCloud marketing should focus on being a product that is a supplement to console and pc gaming and not a flat out replacement. A place where you can play the games you already own physically or digitally, on the cloud wherever you find most convenient at any given time.
For gamers, the idea of playing a AAA experience such as Gears of War 5 solely through a streaming platform with all the possible issues that could arise, is not very appetizing. Consumers don’t want to have to worry even more about latency issues, data caps, internet outages, lag spikes, etc. while enjoying their games. When you are streaming a video game all of these common issues become all the more severe because they encompass the entire game experience.
Now if xCloud is simply a supplemental or alternative option that players can choose, then it becomes something more than a possible nuisance or concern. The consumer goes from feeling locked down to a platform they may fear is unreliable to being given the freedom of choice over when. where, and how they play their favorite games.
As a gamer, Microsoft needs to make you feel like you can enjoy your games in anyway you please. Reliable portability and accessibility of the games you already physically or digitally own, can become a significant boon; a positively received feature that enhances the enjoyment of the games that you already experience on dedicated hardware.
The key would be that streaming is your alternative option to playing your games if you decided to use it. Much like how players can choose to play their Nintendo Switch in docked mode or portable, let the gamers always make the choice that’s right for them. That way if and when problems do arise through a stream, players will be much more forgiving because they know they have a superior way to enjoy their games at their disposal at any time.
xCloud needs to be Fast, really Fast
During Google’s Stadia connect, the tech mammoth claimed that their Stadia platform is capable of running games at 4K resolution with high definition range lighting at 60 frames per second. Google also says that Stadia can do all this with just 35Mbps of internet speed.
If those numbers are true, that’s a high bar for Microsoft to jump to over. They don’t necessarily have to hit those same benchmarks but streaming their games through xCloud has to be lightning fast. For this service to stand any chance, performance has to be high.
There needs to be little to virtually no drop off in smoothness and input lag when compared to the Xbox library’s physical and digital titles. Gamers don’t want to play on something that feels significant’y worse than what they are accustomed to with normal hardware. If xCloud can deliver a very stable, high quality stream that’s ultra responsive, consumers will be more willing to use the service as a supplement or in some cases, maybe an alternative to their regular gaming sessions.
Unlike Google, 4K 60 doesn’t have to be the bench mark. Xbox and PC players that highly value top end fidelity will likely already buy the respective console or PC hardware to make that happen with their games. What they will value is the ability to play those same games on other screens with good overall quality even if it’s capped at something like 1080p instead. A simple and smooth experience will be fine when xCloud is seen as complimentary service to what gamers already have because again, it is simply one of multiple options the consumer can choose.
xCloud Has To Have The Games
Games games games. At the end of the day, it always comes down to games. xCloud could really mess this up if the games available to the the streaming service are severely limited in some way. The goal would be that all games that are available on the next generation Xbox would also be available for xCloud.
Similar to the currently limited Xbox Play Anywhere program, the Xbox games that are streamed to xCloud should share the same save state and data. Every game you own needs to be seamlessly accessible through xCloud, and your Xbox or PC, depending on which of those two platforms you primarily game on.
There cannot be xCloud versions of games that are separate from Xbox or PC console versions of the same game. Consumers should not be asked to buy the same game twice if they want to stream it. Ownership of one copy needs to transfer to all applicable platforms supported under the Microsoft gaming umbrella.
Microsoft has always had a strong relationship with third party developers but those bonds need to be made even stronger. With the portability that xCloud allows, Microsoft needs to garner increased third party support by getting more titles that tend to do particularly well on portable platforms such as Switch and other mobile devices.
xCloud and the Xbox brand need to be successful to entice developers to bring more games to their video game ecosystem. If Microsoft can integrate Game Pass into xCloud as well, that opens up an entire new avenue for developers to reach more causal audiences.
Tying It All Together
A platform that can reach anyone, anywhere as long as they have a decent internet connection is attractive. As a developer, your goal and desire is to get your games in the hands of as many players as possible.
A streaming service alone may not be able to accomplish this right now because the world and technology may not be ready. Microsoft with xCloud has an opportunity to have their cake and eat it too if they offer consumers the choice of embracing xCloud to enhance the gaming they are already doing.
If xCloud can seamlessly aid and support what gamers love to do already, it has a chance to become bigger than just a cool feature. xCloud can make game streaming an everyday asset that’s simply synonymous with gaming. If done right xCloud could get to the point where it is seen as another gaming essential such as rumbling controllers, trophies and achievements, or online play,
That should be the ultimate goal of Microsoft with xCloud. To make it so easy to use and run so well, that gamers can’t picture buying an Xbox game without xCloud integration. To be so integral with gaming that it becomes unremarkable, achieve that by the end of the next generation and xCloud will unequivocally be a resounding success.
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