So China breaks into the console market
Tencent challenges the big names in the world of video games (and the absence of chips) with a console that, as the name implies, Logitech G CLOUD, is based on gaming on the cloud
It thundered so much that it rained. The Chinese giant Tencent, after having conquered the videogame market on the software front (also thanks to the acquisition of a multitude of development studios), now breaks into the hardware one, with a gaming platform that makes no secret of opposing Nintendo's Switch , which now sails over 111 million units sold to the four corners of the globe. As we told you this summer, she won't do it all by herself. The partner chosen for the console is Logitech G, a Logitech brand, which gaming enthusiasts already know for accessories (steering wheels, pads, pedals and so on). Together, the two companies have developed Logitech G CLOUD Gaming Handheld, a device created for cloud gaming.
WHAT IS LOGITECH G CLOUD AND WHAT ARE OUR DOUBTS
Perhaps it will not be that concentrate of technology desired by geeks, presenting a 1080p HD touch screen with a 60 Hz refresh rate, under which pulses the "system-on-a-chip" Snapdragon 720G, 8 core, 2 high performance and high efficiency 6, designed for smartphones and therefore not for gaming systems but, above all, comparable to what can be found today in cheaper mobile phones, with (it is rumored on the Net, there is no official information about it) Adreno 618 and 4 GB of LPDDR4 for memory.
THE WINNING KEY IS THE CLOUD?
The strength of a similar console, however, lies not in the computing power, which in fact does not seem much, but in the support of cloud streaming, which in this case is that of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and NVIDIA GeForce NOW. Gamers can also stream local games from an Xbox console with the Xbox app, their Steam games via SteamLink, or download remote play apps, video streaming, and more via the Google Play Store.
“Cloud gaming is an exciting new way to play. I love that libraries can be accessed from anywhere, ”said Ujesh Desai , vice president and general manager of Logitech Gaming. “We wanted to challenge ourselves to build a perfectly optimized device for cloud gaming. This means precision controls, similar to those of a high-end Xbox controller, a large HD screen, incredible battery life and a lightweight design to allow gamers to enjoy long gaming sessions without compromise. "
DEBUT IN OCTOBER … AND THE CHIP CRISIS?
The Logitech G CLOUD portable console is naturally connectable to Wi-Fi, in this regard Logitech promises an autonomy of over 12 hours of duration (all to be verified) and a weight of only 463 grams, which in the end are the details that are most interesting to those who play on the go since a heavy console or one that 'dies' at the best would be a useless piece of technology, while hardcore gamers know that the controls are remappable, like on PC and there is also a gyroscope. The Sino-Swiss console will be available in North America in October 2022 and later in the rest of the world. He will have to contend with numerous rivals, from Ayaneo to Pocket, passing through Evercade and Playdate, but the really tough ones will be Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. Above all, it will be necessary to understand whether the chip crisis that forced the flagships of Sony and Microsoft to proceed with the handbrake on, will in any way affect the availability of models on the market.
TENCENT OMNIPRESENCE IN THE SOFTWARE WORLD
Bound at home by rules that do not allow it to do business as it would like, on the software front, Tencent has for some time turned its attention to the western market, free from censorship and ties. And he put it in his sights by shopping for existing labels present in the sector. For years, for example, the Chinese giant has wanted Ubisoft , a French multinational with studios now all over the world, from Milan to China, passing through Abu Dhabi, with IPs such as Prince of Persia, Rayman, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six and Just Dance , just to mention the best known titles.
The financial results of the French label in the last period have not been excellent, so much so as to cause the postponement of several videogames and a strong squeeze in the expenses of the various branches and so Tencent in recent weeks has made up again with the Guillemot family , which with 15% hold the keys to the company. According to Reuters, the Asian giant that has already bought a 5% stake in Ubisoft in 2018 would have again expressed interest in increasing its stakes in the company by the current value of 5.3 billion dollars, aiming to become the majority shareholder. To be precise, he would have put 297.3 million dollars on the table. The agreement would imply a valuation of 80 euros per share for Ubisoft, which is significantly higher than the market price of the last period of 40 euros.
Meanwhile, Tencent has carried out full acquisitions, shopping for software houses such as Inflexion Games , an Edmonton, Canada-based label made up of former BioWare members, starting with CEO Aaryn Flynn , who has signed successful sagas of the caliber of : Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: The Old Republic and PlayTonic, which instead consists of former Rare (British software house that in the 90s signed masterpieces such as Donkey Kong Country, 007 GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie) , downsized in talent after the purchase by Microsoft, although in recent times it has churned out the fun Sea of Thieves.
In PlayTonic we find former Rares such as Gavin Price (head of the company), Chris Sutherland (main programmer of Donkey Kong Country ) and Steve Mayles. The Chinese investment will allow the British to develop a third chapter of their Yooka-Laylee, a 3D platformer that blatantly refers to one of the most popular video games of the vintage Nintendo 64 Rare: Banjo-Kazooie .
At the end of August 2022, Sony and Tencent then increased their respective stakes in FromSoftware , the Japanese developer of the award-winning Elden Ring (which, despite being an exclusive PS5, console still difficult to find due to the absence of chips , has sold over 16.6 million copies worldwide) and other soulslike titles. Sony now holds 14.09% of the software house, while Tencent, through its subsidiary Sixjoy, has risen to 16.25%. Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of FromSoftware, now owns 69.66%.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia-on-demand/cosi-la-cina-irrompe-nel-mercato-delle-console/ on Fri, 23 Sep 2022 10:13:33 +0000.