Coreonline: A new cloud gaming service from Square Enix [update: how to 'earn' play time]
Square Enix has announced a new cloud gaming service called Coreonline, which will bring "high definition" gaming to browsers. Specifically, the service will "allows users to easily play popular, console quality games on the web." Coreonline will be accessible via Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer thanks to "a combination of Google and Square Enix's proprietary technology."
Currently there are only two titles available, Mini Ninjas and Hitman: Blood Money. In the case of Mini Ninjas, the Coreonline site merely redirects users to the Chrome Web Store, where a streaming version of Mini Ninjas has already been available for some time. Blood Money, on the other hand, will play directly in the Coreonline store. We loaded the game, at which point we were asked to watch an ad, which "earned" us 10 minutes of play time. Ads can be skipped by purchasing individual levels or entire games, according to Square Enix.
Lara Croft: Guardian of Light will be released on the service in October. Gyromancer and Tomb Raider: Underworld are also in development. At present, Mini Ninjas, Blood Money and Lara Croft support Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7. On Mac, Lara Croft and Mini Ninjas will only work in Chrome, while Blood Money does not currently support Mac at all.
Update: It turns out that you "earn" minutes of play based on which ads you choose to watch. At the end of our initial ten minutes, we were given a selection of ads, each worth a number of minutes. A 1:17 ad for Kohl's for example, is worth 26 minutes of play time, whereas a 7 second ad for the Samsung Series 9 is worth 5 minutes.
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SQUARE ENIX Announces COREONLINE, A Technology Service For High Definition Games In The Browser
LARA CROFT, HITMAN, and Other Games to be Made Available on Service
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TOKYO, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD. today announced a new technology service for high definition games in the browser called COREONLINE. Developed by Hapti.co studio, a wholly owned Square Enix Group subsidiary, COREONLINE allows users to easily play popular, console quality games on the web.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120604/LA17846LOGO)
"Square Enix is at the forefront of experimentation of new business and services models in the game industry," said Yoichi Wada, chief executive officer of Square Enix Holdings. "Through our COREONLINE technology service, users can access our content easily through the browser."
Games on COREONLINE are made available via a combination of Google and Square Enix's proprietary technology, which allows for support of Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. COREONLINE is easy to use, allowing players to click on a level and start playing instantly, and giving them the ability to start from any part of the game they wish.
Aspects of the user experience such as saves and achievements are managed in the cloud, and can be accessed from the browser. In the future, COREONLINE services may be a feature of Square Enix's global online services.
Also launched today is a new business model for COREONLINE, enabling free content supported by video advertising, similar to television advertising. Users can elect to skip advertisements by purchasing levels and entire games.
Titles available at launch include HITMAN: BLOOD MONEY, from the famed HITMAN franchise, and MINI NINJAS. LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT, the award-winning title announced in collaboration with Google at their Google IO event in June 2012, will launch at COREONLINE in October. Also under development for COREONLINE is TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD, from the famed TOMB RAIDER series, and GYROMANCER, the first title available on the service from Square Enix Japan. Further titles from Square Enix's worldwide lineup of content are intended to be made available within the next year.
For more information on COREONLINE please visit http://www.coreonline.com
About Hapti.co
Hapti.co is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Square Enix Group, based in Copenhagen and specialising in digital products and services such as CORE®ONLINE and Gameglobe™. CORE®ONLINE is a new service that offers high definition games in the browser for free via an advertising supported business model. Gameglobe™ is a unique browser-based platform and game experience that allows players free access to limitless game worlds and creative possibilities, all in HD quality. For more information please visit: www.hapti.co
About Square Enix Group
The Square Enix Group leads a diverse range of content and service businesses as an integrated entertainment group. The Group develops, publishes, distributes and licenses entertainment content around the world under its internationally renowned brands including SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS ® and TAITO® and operates a global network of leading development studios located in North America, Europe and Japan. The Group also boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®.
More information on the Square Enix Group can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eng/
CORE, COREONLINE, CORE ONLINE, GYROMANCER, HITMAN, HITMAN: ABSOLUTION, LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT, LARA CROFT, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, MINI NINJAS, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER, TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group.
SOURCE SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
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