Square Enix Announces New Cloud Gaming Service ‘Coreonline’
The world of cloud-based gaming hasn’t exactly been very bright lately what with all of the goings-on at OnLive recently, but that isn’t stopping developer-publisher Square Enix from testing the cloud gaming waters with their own service, which they’re calling Coreonline.
The service uses technology from Google, Square Enix, and its subsidiary studio, Hapti.co, and allows gamers to play games straight from their web browser — provided your web browser is Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer.
“Square Enix is at the forefront of experimentation of new business and services models in the game industry,” said Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada in a press release. “Through our COREONLINE technology service, users can access our content easily through the browser.”
Rather than following a subscription model or some sort of pay-as-you-go plan, Square Enix says that Coreonline will instead be ad-supported. To unlock game time, for example, one could watch an ad for about a minute in exchange for around 30 minutes of play time.
You’ll be able to save your progress in the games, which will be stored in the cloud along with your achievements, but you’re also able to start from any level you so desire. If for some reason you want to just play the last level of a game, you can do that. I don’t know why you would do that, but the option is there.
Coreonline is available right now, but at the moment there are only two games available: Hitman: Blood Money and Mini Ninjas. More Square Enix titles are on the way in the months ahead including Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
