In what is probably the biggest news in cloud gaming history, Microsoft has announced a deal with independent cloud gaming service, Boosteroid. The 10-year deal, announced today, March 14th 2023, will bring Xbox PC games, including Activision Blizzard titles, when the deal goes ahead, to the cloud.
Even though Boosteroid has an already thriving library of titles available, the Microsoft and Boosteroid deal could potentially see the platforms offering grow significantly given the number of titles under the Microsoft banner. This could include titles from Xbox Studios, Bethesda, and possibly Activision – depending on the outcome of the proposed acquisition.
The Activision Blizzard Storm
The UK CMA (Competitions and Markets Authority) recently stated, after a six-month investigation, that Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard could harm gamers. They believe it would result in “higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers”. Since this, Microsoft has made gestures to show that this would not be the case – including an attempt to reach a deal with Sony to show no immediate plans to make Call Of Duty an Xbox exclusive. The agreement with Boosteroid further strengthens Microsoft’s argument that the Activision acquisition would benefit gamers, especially cloud gamers, not harm them.
Whilst the CMA’s findings show that Microsoft accounts for 60-70% of global cloud gaming services, as well as having other strengths such as owning Xbox, the leading PC operating system (Windows) and a global cloud computing infrastructure (Azure) today’s news shows Microsoft is helping the competition, not eliminating it.
Support for Ukraine
Both Xbox and Boosteroid have both previously stated that their mission is to bring games to as many people as possible. Boosteroid continues to grow, recently announcing that they have hit 4 million active users worldwide, despite an ongoing war in their home country, Ukraine. This move will undoubtedly help in that mission.
Ukrainian vice-Prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov welcomes the deal. “Microsoft partnering with Boosteroid is welcome news and further evidence of the company’s ongoing support for Ukraine,”
Everybody wins
It’s hard to see any negative in the Microsoft and Boosteroid deal, and it is good to see gamers benefit where ever they choose to play. And, it certainly makes you wonder what could have been for other cloud services that recently shuttered. We will never know. However, one thing that we do know is that it’s a great time to game!
What games do you think will land first on Boosteroid?
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