Amazon Launches Luna Cloud Gaming Service

[Uskompuf]

Amazon today announced its Luna cloud gaming service is now available for all customers in the mainland United States with an expanded library of games and new features. The new Prime Gaming Channel brings Amazon Prime customers a unique offer to try a rotating selection of free games on Luna, and all players can now access even more games by subscribing to the new Retro Channel and Jackbox Games Channel. New Luna features include Live Broadcasting to Twitch and the Luna Phone Controller, which is available in the Luna Controller app for iPhone and Android phones.

Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service that lets you play games on devices you already own, including Fire TV, Fire tablets, Windows PCs, Chromebook, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android phones. Luna offers a variety of channels to choose from, bringing great content from multiple genres so there is always something interesting to play for all types of gamers. Luna is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), making it easy to stream games without lengthy downloads or updates, expensive hardware, or complicated configurations.





New Gaming Channels on Luna

Luna's unique approach includes a broad selection of channels to choose from, whether its family games, casual games, or games for the core gamer—so there is always something interesting to play. Luna now offers six gaming channels with an expansive catalog of titles that can be streamed in high definition, offering an accessible way to discover and play games from developers you know and love. New channels available today on Luna include:

Prime Gaming Channel: Amazon Prime members can now play a rotating selection of games for free on Luna through a dedicated channel. For the month of March, Prime members can play Devil May Cry 5; Observer: System Redux; PHOGS!; Flashback; and, from 3/8-3/14, Immortals Fenyx Rising.

Retro Channel: The Retro Channel features beloved classic games from publishers like Capcom and SNK, so subscribers can relive fan favorites like Street Fighter II' - Hyper Fighting -, Metal Slug 3, Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and more for $4.99 per month.

Jackbox Games Channel: Family game night has never been more fun with Luna and Jackbox Games. The Jackbox Games Channel on Luna is the only place you can play all eight Party Packs from Jackbox Games with one subscription. Play popular hits including Quiplash, YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, Drawful, and Trivia Murder Party. These titles support Luna Couch, a cloud-first feature that lets you invite others to join a multiplayer gameplay session instantly, even if they don't have a Luna subscription. The Jackbox Games Channel is available for $4.99 per month.

There are even more games available through other gaming channel subscriptions. Luna+ offers more than 100 titles with fan favorites like Devil May Cry 5, Ghostrunner, Team Sonic Racing, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon; while the Ubisoft+ Channel provides access to Ubisoft's popular new releases, such as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Far Cry 6, and Immortals Fenyx Rising. The Family Channel comes with a curated selection of fun titles for all ages to play, including Monster Truck Championship, Heave Ho, and Sponge Bob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom.

New Features on Luna

Luna harnesses the power of AWS, the industry's broadest and deepest cloud infrastructure, to frequently deliver new features and content to gamers, including recent launches such as:

• Live Broadcasting to Twitch: Now anyone can be a Twitch broadcaster on Luna, with just a few clicks. With the latest Luna update on PC, Mac, and Fire TV, a new broadcast button lets you stream gameplay live with a camera feed overlaid on-screen, providing a new, simple way to broadcast to friends or the Twitch community. With Fire TV devices, simply use a QR code to connect your phone as a webcam and mic.
• Luna Phone Controller: Users can now try Luna on Fire TV using just an iPhone or Android phone as the controller through the Luna Controller app, available as a free download in the iOS and Android app stores. The on-screen controller is an option for new or casual gamers without a controller who want to check out side-scrollers, turn-based RPGs, trivia titles, and more.

Pricing and Availability

Starting today, Luna is available to everyone in the mainland United States on compatible devices, including Fire TV, Fire tablets, Windows PCs, Chromebook, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android phones. To start playing, download the Luna Controller app, use a compatible controller, or purchase the Luna Controller. Luna Controller was built for cloud gaming and features Cloud Direct technology and a multiple-antenna design that prioritizes uninterrupted wifi for lower latency gaming.

On April 1, starting a new subscription for Luna+ will cost $9.99 per month and Family Channel will cost $5.99 per month. Existing early access customers, and customers who sign up for Luna+ or Family Channel by March 31, 2022, can lock in founder's pricing and keep Luna+ at $5.99 per month and Family Channel $2.99 per month, so long as they maintain their subscriptions in good standing.

The Retro Channel is available for $4.99 per month, the Jackbox Games Channel for $4.99 per month, and the Ubisoft+ Channel for $17.99 per month.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Vayra86]

Jokers. 17.99?!
And 5 bucks for a few party games?

Wow how quickly cloud shows its true face. A rotating handful of old junk re-sold eternally with no control or persistence whatsoever..

They clearly are trying to mimic the good old cable TV packages/channels. Those deals were horrible for all the same reasons. Overpriced to the max.

 

[AusWolf]

No self-respecting gamer should rely on internet connection and server load to stream games that he/she doesn't own for a monthly subscription fee. Disgusting.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

the source has no link attached

here is the page of plans

Amazon Luna – Cloud Gaming Service

Introducing Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service where it’s easy to play great games on devices you already own. No waiting for lengthy downloads—just play.

www.amazon.com

there are some triple A games included with a prime membership but Imm not paying for anything extra.

 

[BSim500]

Jokers. 17.99?! And 5 bucks for a few party games?

Wow how quickly cloud shows its true face. A rotating handful of old junk re-sold eternally with no control or persistence whatsoever..

It's exactly what I expected to be honest. All the early low price enticements are basically loss leaders to get people hooked onto the conveeeenience of not owning anything, then once it becomes popular, stuff up the prices + watch the entire industry fragment from 1-2 players into 12x publishers each wanting their own $15 monthly subscription to "save you money". As with Netflix, half of what you want is only on there half the time and gets rotated out (usually when you want to watch / play it), whilst a lot of older favourites aren't on their at all. If you enjoy replaying titles then there's a new compulsion to subscribe even if there's no new titles that interest you just to retain playability of older titles. Personally, I'm done with cloud gaming before it even started, and for me the best "distribution innovation" for PC gaming over the past decade is GOG which is on the exact opposite end of the 100% vs 0% scale vs cloud gaming of who owns your own games that in the long run you end up paying not dissimilar amounts of money for renting vs buying in a sale...

 

[Valantar]

So, any bets on how long this lasts? I'll say 18 months until it's shuttered.

 

[ZeppMan217]

So, any bets on how long this lasts? I'll say 18 months until it's shuttered.

The Google thing is still around. This is ultimately just another Amazon Prime perk.

 

[Valantar]

The Google thing is still around. This is ultimately just another Amazon Prime perk.

True, but while google does love to shut things down, they also like to let failed projects drag out for a while before closing them - and the writing is on the wall for Stadia, with google seemingly quietly moving it to a non-consumer-oriented business model and dubbing it "Google Stream". I guess Amazon might go the same way and eventually roll this into AWS in some way, but ... meh.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

Simple, stick it(up yo assss) Amazon.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Exceeded xbox game pass ultimate 15.us a month somehow lol

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

So, any bets on how long this lasts? I'll say 18 months until it's shuttered.

Remember when Twitch tried its own service?, yea, lasted about 18 months.

 

[Valantar]

Remember when Twitch tried its own service?, yea, lasted about 18 months.

Doesn't Amazon own Twitch? Is this just a rehash?

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Doesn't Amazon own Twitch? Is this just a rehash?

Yes but I cant remember if that was before or after that.

 

[Valantar]

Yes but I cant remember if that was before or after that.

Interesting. If it was before (or if that initiative was started before) it might just be building on the same codebase, but with the PR, coding and infrastructure of Amazon and AWS behind it to try and make this more successful.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Interesting. If it was before (or if that initiative was started before) it might just be building on the same codebase, but with the PR, coding and infrastructure of Amazon and AWS behind it to try and make this more successful.

I looked in my History for Twitch Prime, it doesnt show its usage or the game I had, probably since the app is no longer available and was transitioned into Prime Gaming.

found this on it

Amazon Kills Off Twitch Prime Name, Replaces It With ‘Prime Gaming’ Perk With Free Games and Content

Twitch Prime has been rebranded as Amazon Prime Gaming, available for no extra cost to Prime members worldwide.

variety.com

 

[erocker]

Super lame it doesn't work with business Prime.