InstantAction intros browser-based gaming platform

[Matthew DeCarlo]

InstantAction has launched its new browser-based video game distribution platform, which allows you to play full premium games right in your Web browser. The service has kicked off with The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and it, as well as other forthcoming titles can be played on InstantAction's website or embedded on other sites -- kind of like Flash video. For example, we've included a 20-minute trial for you try here.

The company says that the Internet was bound to disrupt the limited distribution channels available to game creators. Since InstantAction's new service makes sharing games as easy as it is to share videos or pictures, it provides developers with direct access to consumers -- and their wallets.

The platform is flexible, supporting subscriptions, micro-transactions, and pay-as-you-go models, and people are more apt to shell out cash for something that is instantly available. Another somewhat similar service called OnLive is also in the works and is due this June.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/38794-instantaction-intros-browser-based-gaming-platform.html

 

[Reloader2]

It seems somewhat stupid to me.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Why's that?

 

[OUTLAWXXX]

I wonder if they will release Mass Effect 2 or Halo Reach on that "browser-based gaming platform" Sort of feels like more of an arcade feature when you just want pick up and play games.

Basically I'm thinking this is going after the same people the Nintendo Wii is going after just that your not gonna be having family groups playing this together. Just lone grandma's w/ their bejeweled games which is fine of course.

 

[natefalk]

This is amazing! Reloader2 you don't know what your talking about. I have a feeling this service is going to make alot of money.

 

[TomSEA]

Interesting concept - I'm sure there will be a market for it. But as Outlaw stated, I suspect we won't see any real graphics intensive games through this client.

 

[Timonius]

What's going to drive people nuts is, I'm suspecting, that many other similar services will launch over the coming years and there's going to be some competition for who's going to get who's money. If these services will actually work, just imagine the potential. And as an added bonus with increases in bandwidth and speed availabilty, especially to mobile platforms (but that could be years away yet), it might just go nuts.

 

[Reloader2]

I might have misunderstood it. I thought they were going to use graphic intensive games later. If it is only some Popcap games and other games that are not graphic intensive.
But if they are going to use graphic intensive games. It seems somewhat stupid to me. Just like OnLive which also seems somewhat stupid to me.

 

[Julio Franco]

Don't forget about Quake Live and other similarly impressive implementations of web-based games.
And that is just today. If you build a solid platform around it (think Steam on its inception), a couple of years from now you could have gameplay rich titles with a varying degree of graphics quality.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Well noted. While these implementations may not be particularly jaw-dropping, they could be -- and probably are -- the start of something big. It's exciting to think about what may unfold in the near future.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't say its niche market is arcade/casual games. The company showed off Assassin's Creed running in Facebook back at GDC. They've been in talks with all the major publishers as well.