After the immature technology, there are new disputes over the right to speak of content and channels. One article understands the actual situation of China’s cloud game free game platform. You can see the whole picture of the cloud game platform by looking at the three review articles.
Editor’s note: This article is from the micro-channel public number “there are rice research” (ID: YouFunLab) , Author: Liu Shengjun.
After the immature technology, there are new disputes over the content and channel voice.
After the hardware and paid content platform, finally want to say the most “China” free cloud game content platform (the so-called free here is F2P, that is, Freetoplay game, generally It is free to play, and items are charged. This is a business model invented by Chinese game manufacturers).
Because some platforms do not yet have the ability to test publicly, representatively, only 8 of them are selected for the meal, respectively:
Netease Cloud Game Platform, Tencent START, Xishanju Cloud Game, Baidu Cloud Mobile Phone, Red Finger Cloud Mobile Phone, Jiyoushe, Douyu Cloud Game and Wo Changyou.
These platforms mainly push F2P games, mainly mobile games , providing download-free, cross-platform streaming services, charged by members, advertisements and duration Monetize. (Everyone sets a real-name system)
According to the types of operators, there are four types of game companies, cloud service companies, live broadcast and channel providers . They have different starting points, different positioning, and different play styles and survival conditions.
Basic situation of the eight free cloud gaming platforms measured this time
Gamers: cloud launcher of own products
Currently availableThere are three NetEase cloud games, Tencent START, and Xishanju cloud games operated by gaming companies that have tested the experience.
Under preparation, such as March 7th, Shengqu and Youzu are not yet online, and Perfect World has cooperated with Tianyi Xuanyou to do cloudification of many mobile games and stand-alone games.
From the perspective of NetEase, Tencent, and Xishanju, making cloud for their own games, the main idea is to reduce the player threshold through download-free and cross-platform, the purpose is to open the terminal configuration, system restrictions, and then expand users Group .
Among them, are there gaps in whether own games continue to have low threshold requirements, are they suitable for sacrificing stability for portability, and can platform capabilities support cloudization.
For example, because NetEase ’s game head products use turn-based MMO and card predominantly, the requirements for the screen, fluency and real-time interaction are not high, which is more suitable for cloudification under the current technical conditions.
Except for turn-based systems, FPS, MOBA, etc., which have more stringent streaming experience, are relatively poor, and the platform capabilities are average.
NetEase cloud game platform interface
Specifically:
On the content, The NetEase cloud gaming platform includes 108 mobile games and 24 mobile games, all of which are covered by the platform. Except for Android, which has an independent client, it can be launched directly through the web page.
“Fortress Night” cloud launch, through the wegame client
Compared to START, the positioning is fullPlatform cloud game content platform, but there is only one product for the time being-only for the cloud start technical support of “Fortress Night”, starting through the Wegame “Fortress Night” page. (The positioning of the other platform, namely, the play is not yet determined, and it may eventually be targeted at large PCs.)
Xishanju is for the time being the cloud of “Jian Wang San”.
Xishan Juyun game platform is temporarily only “Jian Wang San” cloud
Chargeable, A complete paid design has been formed NetEase is the only one. The platform is divided into two parts: mobile games, mobile games are purchased for membership to obtain duration and high-quality picture services, sub-contracted annual package quarterly monthly, currently the cheapest monthly card is 15.9 yuan / month; terminal games are charged according to length, 3 yuan / hour .
NetEase Cloud Game member recharge
At the beginning of the test, START is completely free to promote cloud games and “Fortress Night”; Xishanju ’s “Sword Net Three” cloud uses point cards The long-term billing system is 0.45 yuan / hour.
In terms of comprehensive experience, Although NetEase has a lot of content and is relatively convenient, its fluency is not high, and community services are vacant; START and Xishanju are single models, which are guaranteed by the client, and the actual measurement is relatively smooth And similar to the original game, there is a more complete community and after-sales service.
At present, players can directly use NetEase Cloud through PC and mobile browsersGame platform, accounts are common to NetEase game accounts.
The actual PC launches the mobile game “Dream Westward Journey 3D Edition”, which has not been queued five times since it was started, and the opening time is slightly longer than the local client, within 15 seconds.
NetEase cloud game function
The game operation keys are the same as the official PC version, and the highest Blu-ray quality is supported, but the picture is not properly adapted and is blurred.
During practical operation, The running delay of “Fantasy Westward Journey 3D Edition” is displayed between 15ms and 200ms, but the action and operation reactions are obviously stuck, and the game has dropped once every hour.
“Fantasy Westward Journey 3D Edition” measured, the picture is compressed
Similar Caton also appeared in the PC and mobile game versions of Wilderness Action, while the turn-based “Fantasy Westward Journey” mobile game is relatively smooth, not Impact on-hook and normal operation.
“Wild Operation” actual measurement, the picture is compressed (mobile game matching is simulator player)
In addition, although the cloud gaming platform can be very convenient to run the mobile game directly through the web page, and can also choose iOS / Android, but the measured in the “Fantasy Westward Journey” mobile game, recently passed The account data purchased by Zangbaoge is not synchronized. Data exchange may be limited .
According to the player group and fantasy employees, the current cloud gaming platform is mainly used by players as a small starter and hook tool for turn-based games such as “Fantasy Westward Journey” mobile game and “Onmyoji”. By opening more browsers, mobile game players can hang up multiple accounts at the same time on the mobile terminal and the PC terminal, so as to “raise with the small”.
Due to the promotion of dual-platform servers and cloud gaming platforms, the transaction volume of the “Treasure West Journey” mobile game gold coin trumpet has increased in the past year. As for the growth, is the increase in the number of players or the same The number of players ’accounts has grown and it is not yet certain.
Compared with NetEase, which has a faster advancing speed, but the service quality is average, Tencent START has a better experience.
In the actual measurement, Wegame Cloud took about 30 seconds to start “Fortress Night”. If there is an update, it needs to be downloaded first. After 5 starts, there are two failures due to network instability.
“Fortress Night” cloud launch
After entering the game, players can play the same key operation, the delay in 1080/60 state is between 40ms and 200ms, and the operation is smooth.
“Fortress Night” actual measurement, the picture is compressed
In addition to the game, the “Fortress Night” cloud launch is directly attached to the Wegame community, including friends socializing, strategy, news, live broadcast, video and other services are all on the login page.
Fortress Night Support Service
Of course, the national costume of “Fortress Night” has not yet been completed, and the number of game experience players is small. Smoothness may also be related to this.
Similar to the “Jian Wang San” cloud.
Game data and non-cloud servers are temporarily separated and charged by point card. In the actual measurement, the average delay under the highest picture quality is around 90ms, and the animation and characters move smoothly.
“Jian Wang San” cloud practice, pictures are compressed
Considering that most of the players in “Jian Wang San” are long-term MMORPG enthusiasts, focusing on PK, mature social relationships are also within the old server, so the current cloud is actually Not much valued by players, it may be better after the mobile game product goes online.
According to the opinions of many players of “Jian Wang San”, when the remastered version was released before, the “cloud experience” while downloading and playing was more popular because it did not involve social relationships and the accumulation of characters.
So this data communication is very important for the cloudization of old games.
Cloud service providers: hook-up and testing tools for all games
At present, there are not many cloud game content platforms initiated by cloud service providers, and most of them have hardware platform attributes.
Free content-oriented, hardware-oriented ones are Baidu cloud mobile phones, red finger cloud mobile phones ; while cloud services are also content channels, it is Haimayun ’s Jiyoushe strong>.
The reason why cloud mobile phones are regarded as free content platforms rather than hardware platforms such as cloud computers is mainly because of their user needs.
According to the news from Red Finger, Hippo, and Blu-ray, which earlier operated cloud phones, cloud phones only landed as hardware platforms for the first time and required downloads, but they were more like content platforms from the second use. Judging from the usage of users in the past year, game hanging up is the most important requirement.
Most users who use cloud phones are gamers. They use it as a cross-platform, sub-account hook-up and experience tool to independently save data and operating habits.
At present, Baidu Cloud mobile phone and Red Finger are Android systems, which can download and use free games from all Android channels. In terms of positioning, the red finger is launched through an independent client, which is in favor of the player’s needs. The Baidu cloud mobile phone is launched through the web page or Baidu intelligent cloud. It is available to developers and studios outside the player.
In terms of fees, similar to cloud computers, cloud mobile phones are also charged for echelons based on their configuration.
For example, Baidu is divided into three levels, with a minimum 2 core 2G, 70 yuan per month, and a maximum 6 core 4G, 175 yuan per month.
Baidu cloud mobile phone charges
Red fingers are relatively cheap, generally 38 yuan per month, configured randomly between 2 cores / 4G and 6 cores / 8G.
