Amazon
Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today announced
Amazon GameLift Streams, a fully managed capability that enables
developers to deliver high-fidelity, low-latency game experiences to players using
virtually any device with a browser. Game developers no longer need to spend time and
resources modifying their games for streaming or building their own streaming
infrastructure. Players around the world can begin playing games in seconds
instead of waiting minutes for streams or hours for downloads. Amazon GameLift
Streams is a new capability of Amazon GameLift, the AWS service that empowers
developers to build and deliver the world’s most demanding games. The new streaming
capability opens opportunities for developers to deliver new experiences to
more players, helping them grow engagement and sales of their games.
· Only Amazon GameLift Streams enables
developers to upload their game content onto fully-managed GPU instances in the
cloud and start streaming in minutes, with little or no modification of their
code.
· Game developers can stream AAA, AA, and Indie
games to players’ PCs, phones, tablets, smart TVs, or any device with a
WebRTC-enabled browser.
· Running on the world’s most extensive cloud
network, Amazon GameLift Streams can deliver 1080p and 60 frames-per-second
game play just a few seconds after starting a stream.
· Developers have the broadest set of streaming
infrastructure options for their ideal price performance, and can stream from
six AWS Regions to deliver low-latency game play around the world.
· Amazon GameLift Streams allows developers to
flexibly scale their streaming capacity up or down, so they only reserve and pay
for the capacity they need to meet player demand.
· Customers already using Amazon GameLift
Streams include Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., Jackbox Games, Ludeo, and Xsolla.
“With more than 750 million people playing games running on AWS every
month, we have a long history of supporting the industry’s game development,
content creation, player acquisition, personalization, and more,” said Chris
Lee, general manager and head of Immersive Technology at AWS. “Amazon GameLift
Streams can help the game industry transform billions of everyday devices
around the world into gaming machines without rebuilding game code or managing
your own infrastructure. For game developers, this creates exciting new revenue
and monetization opportunities that weren’t possible before.”
Amazon GameLift Streams makes it simple for
developers to launch game streaming capabilities and meet player expectations
without having to invest millions of dollars in infrastructure and software
development. In just a
few clicks, developers can upload games built with any 3D engine to AWS and
provision streaming capacity in specific AWS regions. Developers can then use the
SDK to integrate with their existing identity services, storefronts, game
loaders, and websites, or newly created experiences such as playable demos, and
begin streaming to players. They can monitor active streams and usage from
within the AWS console, and can seamlessly scale their streaming infrastructure
across multiple regions on the AWS global network to reach more players around
the world with low-latency game play. Game developers can also take advantage
of on-demand scaling to match player demand, choose from a selection of GPU
instances that offer a range of price performance, and rely on the built-in
security of AWS to protect their intellectual property.
Stream games with little or no modification of code
With support for Windows, Linux, and Proton runtimes, Amazon GameLift
Streams enables developers to avoid the expense and complexity of rebuilding
game code required by other streaming providers. Amazon GameLift Streams
supports Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and any
browser enabled with the WebRTC open protocol, ensuring compatibility with the
latest devices used by players.
Jackbox Games
has developed more than 50 hit party games over the last decade, such as
Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Fibbage, and Quixort. While these games have
developed a loyal fan base on traditional gaming platforms like PCs and
consoles, Jackbox has been eager to reach a broader audience that loves party
games, but may not be traditional gamers. With Amazon GameLift Streams, Jackbox
Games can provide the full game experience to people gathered in front of smart
TVs or using other devices. The flexibility of Amazon GameLift Streams will
also unlock new monetization opportunities for Jackbox and provide the ability
to add previously infeasible features that will delight players around the
world.
Directly reach and engage players with new distribution channels
Amazon
GameLift Streams empowers developers to create their own game streaming
services, storefronts, or subscription offerings to foster direct relationships
with players. They can create excitement for new games and breathe new life
into back catalogs by enabling play within seconds from game launchers, influencer
videos, web browsers, and smart TVs.
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce
company, is partnering with AWS and using Amazon GameLift Streams for Xsolla
Cloud Gaming. Xsolla’s customizable solution enables game developers to deliver
high-quality PC and mobile gaming experiences directly to browsers using a
pay-as-you-go monetization model. By integrating Amazon GameLift Streams,
Xsolla enhances its cloud gaming capabilities without the need to build
proprietary infrastructure. This allows for scalable deployment, seamless
platform integrations, value-added features such as a virtual gamepad, and
customized pricing options.
Stream on-demand
game demos
With Amazon
GameLift Streams, game developers can grow their fan bases by offering game
demos that are playable in a few seconds on websites, in advertisements, or
during live influencer streams. This capability allows potential players to
immediately engage with games, helping drive interest and adoption. Game
companies can also integrate playable demos into existing game stores for play
while the full purchased game is downloading.
Ludeo is
pioneering frictionless game discovery with instantly playable game highlights.
Amazon GameLift Streams has been critical to bringing Ludeo’s technology to the
growing global gaming audience, including communities on YouTube, X, Reddit and
Steam. Its recent Hitman World of Assassination campaign on YouTube featured
playable demos powered by Amazon GameLift Streams, delivering engagement rates
five times higher than standard campaigns with videos or static ads. Ludeo’s
campaign also earned an overall conversion rate of 20% from click-to-play to
store, demonstrating the powerful connection between interactive content
and purchase intent.
Accelerate game
testing
Amazon GameLift Streams also helps game developers accelerate their
development lifecycle by cutting down the time, cost, and security risks of
game play testing. Developers can collect feedback on new content, features,
and game play modes from their internal testers and most loyal players without
losing control of their code. Instead of requiring testers to repeatedly spend
hours downloading and installing, developers can securely distribute game
builds for more efficient, standardized testing operations. Internal and
external testers receive test game builds more quickly, speeding up the overall
testing process. Streaming to testers also reduces the risk of code and IP
theft, because game builds are not installed locally.
Stream online
virtual worlds to extend game brands
Amazon GameLift
Streams also enables game companies to stream immersive virtual words built
around their game universes and characters. These experiences enable players,
fans, and customers on any device to immediately connect with brands in new
ways, opening new avenues for interactive marketing and consumer engagement.
Bandai Namco
Entertainment Inc., one of Japan's leading game publishers, uses Amazon
GameLift Streams to stream an immersive metaverse platform to fans of its
Gundam franchise. Fans can access the platform's interactive experiences and 3D
graphics from standard PCs, eliminating the need for high-end gaming hardware.
They can explore the environment, participate in virtual live events, access
exclusive merchandise through virtual shops, try out mini-games, and interact
in real-time with other community members. By implementing Amazon GameLift
Streams, Bandai Namco Entertainment will continue to innovate engaging
experiences on its metaverse platform.
Expanding the Amazon
GameLift service
Amazon GameLift
Streams is a new capability of Amazon GameLift, a fully managed service on AWS
empowering developers to build and deliver the world’s most demanding games.
Amazon GameLift also includes Amazon GameLift Servers, which is already used by
hundreds of game developers around the world, such as Ubisoft, Zynga, WB Games,
and Meta, and has been benchmark tested to support up to 100 million concurrent
users for a single game.
