Angry Bird Creator Ventures Into Mobile Game Streaming

By Precious Gem de Peralta
Angry Birds app
Angry Birds creator Rovio is venturing into mobile video game streaming. Hatch will allow users to stream a collection of on-demand mobile games.  He JiaWei via Flickr

The streaming industry is thriving. Netflix is one good example. But aside from TV and movie streaming services, there is also an interest in game app streaming. Developer Glu Mobile Inc previously announced its plans to let app users access games without having to download it from app stores. Now, Angry Bird creator Rovio will be venturing into mobile video game streaming.

Hatch will be a Netflix-like service that will offer a collection of on-demand mobile games such as arcade classics and modern releases, according to Gamasutra. Players are now able to play these games by going to the website. They won’t be required to download the game apps from Google Play Store or Apple App Store and install it on their devices. They simply have to stream the games that they want to play.

Unlike the apps that people usually download, Hatch will get rid of in-app purchases. Instead, the mobile game streaming service will be focusing on “full-featured, premium experiences”. Players can also take and share screenshots and gameplay videos. It has a “shared single-player mode” that allows users to turn the single player game into a multiplayer one.

It also becomes evident that Netflix has inspired some features in Hatch. For instance, Hatch Originals are games that can only be playable using the said platform. As for what other games to expect in the platform, Badland, Broken Age, Cut the Rope 2, Monument Valley and République will be available for streaming on Hatch. The streaming service will also have a soft-launch on Android devices in the first half of 2017. Developers and publishers like Bandai, Namco, Ubisoft, Double Fine, Frogmind and GungHo Online have already signed up.

App streaming can be a huge blow for app stores. According to the Business Insider, Apple has a 30 percent revenue cut of in-app purchases, as well as Google. Data analytics firm App Annie revealed that worldwide app store revenue amounts to $52 billion in 2016. The number will doubled by 2020 as it is expected to reach $102 billion. These two companies are earning a lot from these apps.

The move to mobile game streaming might have been caused by such revenue policies. Facebook seems to venture into the said market too. The tech giant’s News Feed and Messenger now support mobile game streaming. The success of Netflix was at the cost of traditional pay-TV. ISo, it would not be surprising for mobile game streaming services to take the same path.

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