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(disclaimer: I'm ex-BioWare/EA and work for a[n awesome] gaming startup) Social games provide tremendous value, just not where most people think. It's not the

(disclaimer: I'm ex-BioWare/EA and work for a[n awesome] gaming startup) Social games provide tremendous value, just not where most people think. It's not the "social" features, it's the ease of access. "G2" is not about delivering better social games. It's about delivering "real" games in the browser. If instead of downloading and installing an 8GB package, you could play Diablo 3 by simply going to a website, would you ever choose the former? iTunes revolutionized music delivery, just like Steam did for games. "G2" is about going one step further. Think Spotify. The same [quality] games you'd download and install will instead be instant-on and resumable from anywhere. Facebook and Google+ get it. That's why Facebook developed App Center (to showcase top-quality games), and why Google+ is putting so much effort into Native Client (Bastion, anyone?) and Play. Adobe gets it, too. They're doubling down on Flash development. Stage 3D gives you GPU access - this means 3D in games (see trailer: https://www.rumblegames.com/kingsroad https://www.rumblegames.com/kingsroad -- disclaimer, I work here, and let me know if you want beta access: mike.babineau@rumblegames.com). Zynga understands delivery. But could they build a quality game? This takes a different approach to game design, and serious investment into a 3D pipeline and rich game tech. BioWare, Ubisoft, and other big-name studios understand how to build quality games. But their games are delivered through traditional channels. They need to shift from box products (and from current "digital delivery") and figure out how to build and operate what is essentially highly scalable web tech, and how to operate games as services. I agree with the author: the companies best positioned to deliver "G2" are a new breed. Look for hybrid teams, people who have built traditional games alongside those who have built high-scale web platforms. This is what will turn the entire industry on its head.

chucknelson 14y ago
"...will instead be instant-on and resumable from anywhere." Haven't OnLive and Gaikai already accomplished this? The main criticism of those services is lag, but for future mainstream games, social and otherwise, the player probably wouldn't notice.

chucknelson 14y ago

"...will instead be instant-on and resumable from anywhere." Haven't OnLive and Gaikai already accomplished this? The main criticism of those services is lag, but for future mainstream games, social and otherwise, the player probably wouldn't notice.