Cloud gaming is enabling a proliferation of gaming options – everything from set-top boxes and high-end game consoles to gaming PCs or even mobile devices. Using big data analytics, we take a snapshot across social media, blogs and print media to find out which organisations and individuals currently have the greatest #CloudInfluence in the field of cloud gaming.
The movers and shakers in cloud gaming
With supporters of each platform and each streaming technique now advocating different approaches, there is a massive tussle for hearts and minds as the main platform providers compete to win the loyalty of developers and gamers in the new era of cloud gaming.
The role of influencers in helping to promote the viewpoints and messages of each camp is key. The following big data analysis, across social media, blog and print articles, looks at which organisations and individuals have #CloudInfluence in the field of cloud gaming:
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The highest profile firm is Microsoft, with current debate centring not only on its successful Xbox platform, but also on the new Windows 10 OS. Initially coverage was far from positive, focusing on notorious hacking group Lizard Squad, which made a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live at Christmas, disrupting online game services for thousands of new PS4 and Xbox One owners. Lizard Squad then made a further DDoS attack in mid-February. Since then Microsoft has announced that Xbox Live will be included with windows 10 and that it will be free. This announcement didn’t go without comment as many Xbox owners have been paying subscription fees for years, but it represents a strategic land grab for the PC gaming market.
Next with the “Q4 2014 State of the Internet – Security Report” from its Prolexic Security Engineering and Research Team (PLXsert) was Akamai. The PLXsert team are experts on DDoS protection and cloud security services and strategies , and they provided analysis and insight into the global attack threat landscape, which was reported widely.
Third in the rankings was Nvidia, which announced impressive results, launched its new Shield Game Console, and made its Grid Cloud Service official. Rumours of a spring release date for its Street Fighter 5 boosted Capcom to fourth when online retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy listed its availability as March 31, 2016.
Sony slipped to 5th in the rankings with little in the way of major news since Christmas, and was followed by Ravello Systems, which reported that 888 Holdings PLC, an online gaming entertainment and solution provider, uses Ravello’s cloud service.
Nintendo was down in 7th with Spacetime Studios in 8th. Founded by former Sony Online Entertainment veterans, Spacetime Studios announced “Call of Champions” a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game in which each battle is expected to last for just five minutes. This is an attempt to distill and simplify the MOBA game genre into bite-sized portions that are more suitable for mobile gamers.
In 9th was Vault Networks, the cloud computing, web hosting, and colocation provider, that announce a partnership with Multiplay a UK-based gaming services company. And finally in 10th was the notorious Lizard Squad themselves.
Interestingly many large gaming corporations such as EA did not make the #CloudInfluence top ten organisations due to a lull in announcements in the post-christmas period. The nature of the gaming industry tends to lean towards huge PR pushes before big retail periods such as Christmas, with a quieter media period through the start of the year when retail is at its lowest. This explains why many of the expected companies did not make the top ten as they have not had a media presence through the period that was analysed.
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As far the rankings for individuals go Phil Spencer and Larry Hryb from Microsoft topped the charts, commenting on the Xbox Live DDoS attack, on the future of the platform and its extension to Windows 10.
Jules Urbach from OTOY was in third commenting on the ground-breaking holographic light field technology used in Batman and the live streamed in 360-degree high-definition virtual reality they aim to use to deliver an unparalleled fan experience for NHL fans.
Next in the rankings was James Mielke, an executive at the cloud-gaming startup Shinra Technologies who was quoted widely commenting on how Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony’s worldwide game studios, has helped propel the company’s game division toward a surprising turnaround.
Then came Patrick Walker, an analyst from EEDAR, who is widely quoted on gaming issues and Shaun Himmerick ,Mortal Kombat X executive producer, who accidentally gave gamers the impression that the fighting game wouldn’t require Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. “PS Plus is not needed for any feature of MKX,” Himmerick tweeted adding that the same was true for Xbox Live Gold. After sparking much excitement across social media, he later indicated that his initial statements over Twitter, since deleted, had been a misunderstanding.
To find out more about how Cloud Gaming is evolving or to meet the key players in the local market as they gather in London on April 13-14, register here for Cloud Gaming Europe – http://www.videogamesintelligence.com/cloud-gaming-europe/