Microsoft Wants to Publish Cloud-Native Games for Xbox

gamerant.com:

When it comes to cloud gaming, Microsoft has been at the forefront of driving its popularity in recent years. Its subscription service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, comes with a neat feature that allows player to stream games through their smartphones or tablets, using nothing but a good internet connection. But now, Microsoft also wants game developers to take advantage of the cloud as well.

In a video shared to YouTube last week, Microsoft outlined its plans to work with external studios to develop cloud-native games, while also introducing a new Cloud Gaming Organization within its publishing wing, Xbox Games Studios Publishing, which was responsible for titles such as Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Microsoft Flight Simulator. This new division is headed by Kim Swift, who joined the team as a director of cloud gaming last year, after her brief stint at the now-defunct Stadia Games & Entertainment.

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The presentation video is mainly targeted at game developers, and covers many of the technical aspects of the cloud technologies on offer. In the video, Swift explained that the aim is to partner with studios to develop cloud-native games for the Xbox ecosystem; games that can bring experiences which are previously not possible without the involvement of cloud technologies.

Microsoft's take on cloud-native games is probably different from what most players have in mind. These aren't simply games that are streamed from remote servers to players' devices. Instead, what Microsoft is proposing is games that make use of the cloud to process certain parts of the game, much like how Microsoft Flight Simulator leverages the cloud to achieve an incredible level of realism.

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