Netflix Cloud Gaming Beta Launches on TVs, Coming to PCs Soon

[ViperXZ]

Returning back to the original post, I expect Netflix to eventually included gamepads, etc. as input devices.

Yea I fully expect them to support bluetooth controllers, it's nothing special at all.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

Hmmmmm.....nope. Unless you manage to break the laws of physics, cloud gaming will always have major lag and stuttering issues, not to mention people are getting sick of segmented software libraries that get yoinked because *reasons*.

digital distribution offered a major benefit to the consumer: convenience, better service quality, and cheaper prices. Cloud gaming does not make this work at all.

You're acting like the consumer has a choice. In reality they don't.

Will there be some people will to spend 30 grand or more on a gaming PC, of course. But for most people that's not going to be an economic reality.

Digital distribution didn't actually do any of those things. Used games were always an option and digital distro set out to kill that. The service quality is not better either. There was no need to have Steam to patch your games and now things are in permanent beta states.

The powers that be wanted digital distro and streaming and software as a service and so that's where we are. If they want cloud gaming that's what we will get.

 

[cvaldes]

Digital distribution is cheaper for the publisher and there are zero physical supply chain logistics and inventory management concerns. It's the same with digital music, film, and video.

Ultimately, it's the consumer that decides with their wallet. Ubiquitous broadband Internet has made SaaS and live service games a reality in the past 5-8 years. Just because some big company creates something doesn't mean it'll automatically be embraced. Look at DIVX disc rentals, HD DVD, Google Stadia, et cetera ad nauseam.

And the videogame consumer has clearly decided that shoddy releases are acceptable. Why release something high quality when it can be patched later? The customer is going to pre-order it at full retail price anyhow. We can let them do a lot of the beta testing.

Anyhow, cloud gaming is already part of the videogame landscape today and will continue to have a place in the future.

 

[chrcoluk]

All this has done is made me wonder how much of my subscription is paying for this.

 

[neatfeatguy]

All this has done is made me wonder how much of my subscription is paying for this.

Since most of their content recently has been pretty crappy, I'd say 90% of your sub fee.

 

[Chrispy_]

All this has done is made me wonder how much of my subscription is paying for this.

Heart of Stone is supposed to be decent. If you get one decent movie a month it's still worth it IMO, because you'd spend that on a movie rental, and triple that on tickets in a movie theatre.

 

[cvaldes]

All this has done is made me wonder how much of my subscription is paying for this.

Netflix is a publicly traded company.

Look at the R&D budget line item in their SEC filings. It's a portion of that amount. Only Netflix accounting and senior management knows the exact figure.

You'll never know the exact amount, just like you'll never know what percentage of your airplane ticket is funding the airline's box seats at the stadium, et cetera ad nauseam.

But suffice it to say that nothing is free. Someone is always paying for something.