Rovio, the Finnish company which created the popular Angry Birds franchise, has recently been investing in all kinds of ventures. Apart from launching several lineups of Angry Birds-themed merchandise and The Angry Birds Movie, the Espoo-based company also introduced Rovio Stars, a program for publishing mobile games developed by independent studios all around the world. In that regard, the company started putting an increased focus on funding third-party games in an effort to diversify its revenue stream.
As a continuation of that strategy, Rovio just announced Hatch, a spinoff company offering a somewhat unique service – an Android solution for playing streamed games. In other words, a solution for playing games on Android devices without actually downloading them. Interestingly enough, Hatch announced that this service will be completely free and feature no in-app purchases. Instead, Hatch will monetize its product through advertising, which was promised to be unobtrusive. In addition to that, the said streaming service will also generate revenue through brand storytelling, something Rovio has already experimented with within the Angry Birds franchise. Last but not least, users will also be able to pay for a premium subscription to Hatch which will grant them access to some new features. However, the Rovio-owned company remained tight-lipped about this option, adding that it will reveal more at a later date.
Apart from being a game streaming service, Hatch will also offer some social features to its users. Naturally, this includes options to record and share gameplay with other online gamers, as well as participate in competitive online game modes. Other than that, the company said it’s currently designing a system that should allow players to assist each other while playing both single player and multiplayer games. The streaming service itself was developed in collaboration with Huawei and will use their cloud technology. Hatch revealed that a closed, invite-only beta is scheduled to start by mid-2017. The service still doesn’t have a firm release date, but more information on that front is expected to follow soon. On the bright side, the Rovio-owned company revealed that the initial version of its streaming service will boast more than 100 games, including some notable titles such as République, Monument Valley, and Badland. Other than that, Hatch is planning to publish some exclusives like IslaBomba: Ready To Boom.