TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video games industry, said today that the moves by Gaikai and OnLive to stream games direct to televisions offer great potential for self-publishers.
Gaikai announced at the E3 games show that it was introducing a cloud-based video games service to Samsung televisions. At the same show, OnLive said it was set to stream games to LG's G2 series of TV sets.
Both services cut out the need for consoles and allow gamers to play via their televisions. It is the latest step for both companies, which have already been offering streaming services via social media, smartphones, PC and Mac. Gaikai launched in 2011 with OnLive being unveiled a year earlier.
There had been rumours that Sony was set to tie up with either Gaikai or OnLive but such an announcement failed to materialise.
Colin Anderson, TIGA board member and MD at Denki, said:
“Streaming and Cloud-based gaming services have actually been around for a while, but are now making rapid strides towards mainstream popularity, I’m sure they will prove to be a viable digital distribution business model for game developers, initially alongside downloads and physical media, but ultimately replacing them both in the long-term. More and more, it points to a move away from delivering stand-alone games to consumers and enables developers to find and grow a fanbase for their products more effectively and economically.
“I am sure that there will be new opportunities for self-publishing and independent developers within the Streaming and Cloud space. By delivering games to TV sets – and I’m certain the number of television manufacturers clamouring to offer such services will grow – it helps to position gaming well and truly into the mainstream, removing what has been a major barrier to play for most people until now: the console.”
Patrick O'Luanaigh, Chairman of TIGA’s Self-Publishing Committee and MD of nDreams, said:
“As part of our efforts to assist UK studios with self-publishing, we’ll be talking with Gaikai and OnLive along with other emerging platforms to help our members contact the right people and get the best information about which platforms to support in the future as the gaming landscape continues to change rapidly.”
Research by Digi Console shows that the console games industry faces clear challenges with declining revenues, user cannibalisation by online/mobile games, the risks of making Triple-A games and long hardware cycles.
It said cloud gaming holds promise as a platform in its own right and that, while console games might remain a large long-term niche market, the next hardware cycle might not herald a return to mass market growth.
Notes to editors:
About TIGA:
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership. TIGA was awarded ‘Trade Association of the Year’ and the ‘Member Recruitment Award’ at the Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2010. TIGA has also been named as a finalist in the 2010 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) National Management and Leadership Awards in the category of ‘The Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award (SME)’. TIGA is an ‘Investors in People’ accredited organisation.
TIGA's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
For further information, please contact Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or email richard.wilson@tiga.org.
