19 votes

Netflix is testing a game streaming solution in Canada and the UK

20 comments

  1. [16]
    Dr_Amazing
    Link
    I was very surprised when the Netflix app gave me the option of freely downloading Terra Nil a little while back. Seems like a neat idea. My only concern is when streaming services start doing...

    I was very surprised when the Netflix app gave me the option of freely downloading Terra Nil a little while back.

    Seems like a neat idea. My only concern is when streaming services start doing gaming exclusives. It's already annoying enough missing out on games because I don't own whatever console it's on. I don't look forward to maintaining a subscription to whatever streaming service has a game I want.

    12 votes
    1. babypuncher
      Link Parent
      I don't look forward to the only way to play a game being a laggy stream.

      I don't look forward to the only way to play a game being a laggy stream.

      13 votes
    2. [3]
      dhcrazy333
      Link Parent
      I feel like if Netflix is going to get into the game streaming service their main market of games are going to have to be simpler games that you don't need a lot of timing accuracy with. Right now...

      I feel like if Netflix is going to get into the game streaming service their main market of games are going to have to be simpler games that you don't need a lot of timing accuracy with. Right now the biggest hurdle I've seen with any major game streaming platform is that for anything that requires precise timing, it's an absolute terrible experience to try and stream due to latency issues. This issue severely limits the number of games that can be streamed with quality.

      Given Netflix's current game library consists of primarily mobile platform type games, it may be doable for them. Companies (like Microsoft) that are trying to push cloud gaming as a platform still have a lot to solve with the latency issues.

      6 votes
      1. [2]
        Dr_Amazing
        Link Parent
        Maybe they could do big games through a console. Like for as long as your subscribed you can download any of these 30 games onto your Xbox. Then they just need to check in with Netflixs servers to...

        Maybe they could do big games through a console. Like for as long as your subscribed you can download any of these 30 games onto your Xbox. Then they just need to check in with Netflixs servers to actually run.

        2 votes
        1. MaoZedongers
          Link Parent
          That kinda sounds like steam mixed with gamepass, the worst of both worlds.

          That kinda sounds like steam mixed with gamepass, the worst of both worlds.

          1 vote
    3. [5]
      Sheep
      Link Parent
      Sadly this is already the case. All games published by Netflix require a Netflix subscription to play. Some notable names include World of Goo Remastered, Terra Nil, and Shovel Knight Pocket...

      My only concern is when streaming services start doing gaming exclusives

      Sadly this is already the case. All games published by Netflix require a Netflix subscription to play. Some notable names include World of Goo Remastered, Terra Nil, and Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon.

      I understand the devs' perspective, to them it's either Netflix or not having a port of their game at all, but as a consumer I absolutely refuse to have a subscription as my only way of playing a game. If I can't outright buy it I'm not playing it.

      2 votes
      1. [4]
        MimicSquid
        Link Parent
        Really?
        1 vote
        1. [3]
          Sheep
          Link Parent
          Netflix publishes on mobile only. Other platforms are not affected by this.

          Netflix publishes on mobile only. Other platforms are not affected by this.

          1. [2]
            MimicSquid
            Link Parent
            In that case, what they're really doing is making it so that there's no need to maintain Android and Apple versions of the game and competing with their respective game subscription services? Good...

            In that case, what they're really doing is making it so that there's no need to maintain Android and Apple versions of the game and competing with their respective game subscription services? Good for Netflix.

            1. Sheep
              Link Parent
              What they do is they get exclusive rights to publish games on mobile platforms and and require users to pay for a Netflix subscription if they want to play them on those platforms. If you don't...

              What they do is they get exclusive rights to publish games on mobile platforms and and require users to pay for a Netflix subscription if they want to play them on those platforms.

              If you don't have a console or computer you're screwed. Pay monthly or have no access to the games.

              Definitely not a "good for them". As a consumer I'd like the choice to own my games regardless of platform.

    4. [6]
      MaoZedongers
      Link Parent
      Ikr, It's like they're trying to slowly make piracy the better option, and the only alternative.

      Ikr, It's like they're trying to slowly make piracy the better option, and the only alternative.

      1. [5]
        owyn_merrilin
        Link Parent
        If the files only exist on a remote server, good luck pirating a copy. That's part of the reason these companies keep trying to make streaming games happen despite the speed of light not being...

        If the files only exist on a remote server, good luck pirating a copy. That's part of the reason these companies keep trying to make streaming games happen despite the speed of light not being fast enough for reasonable latencies to be physically possible.

        4 votes
        1. [4]
          MaoZedongers
          Link Parent
          Ever heard of yt-dlp? They have to send you the data in order for you to be able to watch it. And if it's unencrypted (encryption would likely severly hinder streaming), it's not that hard to do...

          Ever heard of yt-dlp?

          They have to send you the data in order for you to be able to watch it.

          And if it's unencrypted (encryption would likely severly hinder streaming), it's not that hard to do (although still above me), referring back to yt-dlp.

          1. [3]
            em-dash
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            That works for videos because videos aren't interactive, so there's no difference between the video and a stream of the video. A video stream of a game isn't the same thing as the game itself....

            That works for videos because videos aren't interactive, so there's no difference between the video and a stream of the video. A video stream of a game isn't the same thing as the game itself.

            This is also why streaming videos can work so much better than streaming games. It is much easier to predict what the next few seconds of a static video file will look like (it's the part after the moment you're currently watching) and send that in advance (i.e. buffering), than the next few seconds of a game (which, unless you're in an unskippable cutscene, depends on the player's input, and possibly other things).

            6 votes
            1. MaoZedongers
              Link Parent
              Yeah that's my bad, sorry, I forgot what the topic was, games, not video. It'd definitely become more difficult to get ahold of them, I'm sure leaks and hacks would still happen though.

              Yeah that's my bad, sorry, I forgot what the topic was, games, not video.

              It'd definitely become more difficult to get ahold of them, I'm sure leaks and hacks would still happen though.

              1 vote
            2. parsley
              Link Parent
              Depends on the game, but they can always predict that you hit the headshot, slash the enemy in front of you about to attack you, that you land the combo properly, etc. This is likely happening on...

              Depends on the game, but they can always predict that you hit the headshot, slash the enemy in front of you about to attack you, that you land the combo properly, etc. This is likely happening on mobile gaming already.

              As long as it is not too egregious people would not complain.

  2. [2]
    SpinnerMaster
    Link
    Thats cool, but their antics with the household IP locking pushed me away as a customer and I will not be going back.

    Thats cool, but their antics with the household IP locking pushed me away as a customer and I will not be going back.

    2 votes
    1. HeroesJourneyMadness
      Link Parent
      Me too. Done. The last decent series was Witcher. I can get all my content needs filled elsewhere, and it’s better quality. Also- I’m a proud non-gamer. Work and tv are plenty enough screen time.

      Me too. Done. The last decent series was Witcher. I can get all my content needs filled elsewhere, and it’s better quality. Also- I’m a proud non-gamer. Work and tv are plenty enough screen time.

      1 vote
  3. TotallyVigilant
    Link
    It's cool I can play phone games. It's the "exclusive stuff" that's will become an issue.

    It's cool I can play phone games. It's the "exclusive stuff" that's will become an issue.

  4. moocow1452
    Link
    Game streaming is now starting to roll out in the US among a limited pool of user per the latest update in the blog topic.

    Game streaming is now starting to roll out in the US among a limited pool of user per the latest update in the blog topic.