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Square Enix unveils cloud gaming business Shinra Technologies
Square Enix announced its aim to deliver "revolutionary" cloud-based gaming with Shinra Technologies, a newly launched subsidiary helmed by Yoichi Wada, the former president of the Japanese publisher. Cutely named after the company in Final Fantasy 7, Shinra's goal is to "change the game industry ecosystem by offering new types of games experiences" through its own tech. Shinra appears to be an evolution of Square Enix's Project Flare streaming project (the service's web page now redirects to Shinra's) but set up as a separate subsidiary. Shinra wants to deliver cloud gaming using what it calls a "virtual supercomputer." Rather than using one central processing unit (CPU) and one graphics processing unit (GPU) to stream a game, Shinra said its tech pools "hundreds or thousands of CPUs and GPUs in a datacenter" to boost processing power and deliver higher quality games. "It's like having a super-powered games console," Shinra's FAQ claims, "with no need to buy the console."
Square Enix demonstrates new Project FLARE game streaming service
Square Enix is chasing the cloud-based gaming market with Project FLARE, a newly announced streaming service that claims to leverage "virtual supercomputers" in order to minimize latency while upping in-game performance and presentation. Comparing Project FLARE to existing streaming services like OnLive and Gaikai, Square Enix notes that its own project offers exponential scalability, making it capable of delivering richer world detail and "real-time, Hollywood-quality" animation. Square Enix demonstrates Project FLARE's potential in a pair of concept videos for Deus Ex: Human Revolution (embedded above) and Final Fantasy XI, showcasing the service's enhanced physics simulation and online multiplayer capabilities. Speaking with Engadget, Square Enix's director of business development Jacob Navok revealed that the company may set up a new business division in order to support the service. "We're very open right now," said Navok said. "We can be our own product, we can offer it to other partners. It's so early now that we don't have a specific way to bring this to consumers just yet."
