An epic partnership was revealed during a conference in Brussels, at which Microsoft was pleading its case for its acquisition of Activision. In a dramatic turn of events, the news broke that Microsoft had signed a ten-year deal with Nvidia to bring all its PC-based games to GeForce Now, Nvidia’s game streaming platform. Also, Microsoft confirmed that it had obtained full support from Nvidia, which effectively bolsters its application to acquire Activision.
A stacked library of PC games is already tied in with Microsoft’s offerings, but this partnership takes it to the next level. Should Microsoft successfully acquire Activision Blizzard, then an entire suite of games, including the Call of Duty series, could also land on Nvidia’s GeForce Now. This would mean that players could stream Call of Duty games to their devices, wherever they are, using the power of GeForce Now.
Gaming on the Go
GeForce Now is widely considered to be one of the best cloud-based game streaming platforms on the market. It offers a stable, consistent, and relatively enjoyable experience for fans around the world, empowering them to enjoy top-tier games regardless of the device that they’re using. As with most services of its kind, it’s restricted by the limitations of poor internet connections, but for the most part, it’s a hugely successful solution for cloud gaming.
With a positive review of the partnership, Jeff Fisher, SVP for GeForce at Nvidia, said:
‘Combining the incredibly rich catalog of Xbox first party games with GeForce Now’s high-performance streaming capabilities will propel cloud gaming into a mainstream offering that appeals to gamers at all levels of interest and experience. Through this partnership, more of the world’s most popular titles will now be available from the cloud with just a click, playable by millions more gamers..’
In terms of sheer accessibility, services like GeForce Now are invaluable. For players that don’t have the best hardware, a GeForce Now subscription ensures that, through the power of cloud gaming, they can still enjoy a wide range of titles, even if all they have is a smartphone.
Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, spoke highly of the deal and also mentioned Call of Duty, despite the acquisition not yet being complete:
‘Xbox remains committed to giving people more choice and finding ways to expand how people play. This partnership will help grow Nvidia’s catalog of titles to include games like Call of Duty, while giving developers more ways to offer streaming games. We are excited to offer gamers more ways to play the games they love.’
This news comes just days after Microsoft revealed that it had signed a legally binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms for the next ten years. It is, of course, a ploy to win over regulators currently opposing the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but it’s nothing but good news for Nintendo fans everywhere.