GameFly, the rental service that sends you games in the mail, is launching a new video game streaming service today. GameFly has also revealed today that it has acquired streaming service Playcast, which will power the new service.
According to The Verge, GameFly’s new streaming service lets users rent games for $7 a month each. GameFly’s service includes six bundles, each containing seven games focused on a different theme. One bundle offers LEGO games while another offers adventure games such as Darksiders II and Batman Arkham titles. GameFly’s Streaming service also offers a “gamer pack” which comes with 16 games for $10 per month.
GameFly Streaming is currently only available for Amazon Fire TV, which costs $100. Most games are compatible with the $40 Amazon Fire TV controller. Using the GameFly service, users can play high-quality PC titles.
Other companies have tried to create a “Netflix for games,” but haven’t had much success. OnLive recently shut down, while PlayStation Now is just getting started. Microsoft has also talked about a streaming service for Xbox One.
According to Amazon, their FireTV has the fastest growing selection of any streaming media device, especially in the last three months. Amazon Fire TV now offers over 1,600 titles, which is more than the number offered by Roku or by Apple TV. Popular new titles include Popcornflix, Funny or Die, Candy Crush Saga, and Fox News.
GameFly says it hopes to build “the world’s premier multi-platform, console-quality streaming video game service.” Steve Rabuchin, Vice President of Amazon App Store says, “With the addition of new titles like Fox News, Popcornflix, Candy Crush Saga and GameFly, customers now have access to even more of their favorite TV shows, news content, top quality games, and live TV.”
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Imagine tapping a Zelda icon on your iPhone and jumping straight into Hyrule. A new open-source project called nxnative makes that possible by repackaging Switch games you’ve bought into apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no emulator in the middle.
Why does this run so well on Apple devices?