Shadow wants to make game demos cool again with cloud computing

techcrunch.com:

Shadow is introducing some new use cases for its cloud computing service at the Game Developers Conference. In particular, the company wants to partner with game publishers so that they can create virtual booths to showcase game demos.

While Shadow now offers several services, the company is better known for its cloud computing service for gamers and other people who need a powerful computer. Instead of running apps and games locally, users can boot up a Windows instance on a server in a data center near them.

The video feed is then streamed to their local device. Unlike traditional cloud gaming services, Shadow offers a full Windows instance, which means that you can install whatever you want. And if you live near a Shadow data center and you have a solid internet connection, the service works pretty well.

For the past few months, the company has tried to find new ways to leverage its streaming and virtualization technologies. For instance, the company partnered with Bandai Namco to help them with Elden Ring press reviews. Instead of sending product keys to media outlets, the company set up Shadow instances with Elden Ring on it.

Shadow wants to formalize this offering and it is calling it Echo Sessions. There are several advantages with that setup. First, it’s easier to control the experience as everyone has the same CPU, GPU and RAM setup.

Second, the game publisher or PR agency can have a look at sessions in real time. It can be helpful to check if someone is stuck. In addition to Elden Ring, Shadow has facilitated the PR campaigns of Little Nightmares II and One Piece Odyssey.

Echo Sessions can also be used for playtesting, a process that is widely used in the video game industry to see if a game is enjoyable. Shadow can