GDC Online: Spoon Launches New Cloud Gaming Service

Seattle-based developer Spoon announced the launch of its free cloud gaming service, currently featuring titles from both independent studios and major publishers like Namco Networks America. The company claims that its self-titled platform does not introduce latency or video quality degradation, require large datacenter and bandwidth investments, or demand full-time client connectivity. It's designed to work with existing PC titles and enable users to embed games into websites with a line of HTML code. A number of publishers and independent studios have already partnered with Spoon to offer their desktop game catalogs on the service, such as Namco Networks, Alawar Entertainment, WildFire Studios, and more. Featured games so far include World of Goo, Dig Dug, Second Life, Crayon Physics, and others. Spoon points out that in addition to allowing users to try out and play desktop games without having to download or install them first, its cloud gaming platform also offers integrated payment processing, digital rights management, and analytics capabilities. "We are excited to introduce the world’s first free cloud gaming service," says Spoon founder and CEO Kenji Obata. "Users can now demo and play desktop games without the hassles of installs, downloads and setups," He adds, "Game studios and publishers now have a fast, free way to combine the rich experience of their existing desktop PC catalogs with the business opportunities afforded by the Web, social networks and [software as a service]."