Cloud gaming is finally making its way to multiple platforms. Probably the most promising platform to see an influx in cloud gaming support recently is the world of Smart TVs. Just the idea of playing some of the latest games on an internet ready television, without a gaming or entertainment console, is appealing.
Agawi, one of the big names in cloud gaming currently, has a particularly conspicuous slogan.
“Any game. Anywhere. Instantly.”
If you stare at the name Agawi long enough, you’ll notice they picked it up directly from their slogan.
Agawi just announced a partnership with Marvell, the company that handles integrating Google TV services in the latest TV sets. Marvell’s work is currently visible in Sony, Vizio and LG internet ready TVs.
The partnership will allow Agawi to bring their CloudPlay gaming service to various Android powered TVs. In case you’re not familiar with CloudPlay, it streams games remotely over an active internet connection much like OnLive. The necessary hardware to run the games is stored elsewhere, and gamers essentially tap into that hardware through the cloud services. It is this kind of innovation that allows gamers to experience graphic intensive games, on devices that don’t meet the necessary hardware requirements.
In the case of the affected Android Smart TVs, you’ll be able to play “midcore” and casual games right on your television without any additional hardware or devices.
According to Agawi’s cofounder, Rajat Gupta, the company is broadening the world of gaming to include even more devices, like the Android Smart TVs.
“By making Agawi CloudPlay accessible via Marvell’s hardware platform, we’re opening up a world of opportunities for gaming on connected smart devices. This is an elegant cloud gaming solution that any TV device manufacturer or operator can integrate into their products and services–now it’s even possible to offer Agawi’s instant game streaming as a preloaded application on smart TVs and the like.”
The world of gaming is certainly going to change over the coming year with the likes of OUYA, Snakebyte Unu, GameStick, Nvidia’s Project Shield and the Valve Steambox. Each product has a different perspective on gaming and will offer something truly unique to the market. Even so, every one of the aforementioned products require a peripheral or added device in order to play games on them. The Agawi CloudPlay service will be offered directly through an internet capable TV set, and an active internet connection.
Marvell vice president Winston Chen says that the company ” is very proud to support Agawi’s innovative CloudPlay platform for Android smart TVs.”
“Marvell aims to provide the ultimate in performance, affordability, and power efficiency in cloud-based multimedia content delivery. Above and beyond traditional gaming services, the capability to deliver an immersive, console-gaming experience on an Android-based platform and on the largest screen in the house is key to allowing our ecosystem partners to rapidly roll out turnkey cloud gaming solutions. Our collaboration with Agawi is testimony to the very talented and committed engineers on our staff and demonstrates yet another way in which Marvell delivers one of the best smart TV experiences in today’s connected lifestyle.”
As always, you can find more information about the Agawi CloudPlay service through the company’s official website.
Source: VentureBeat