Amazon lancerer i denne uge sin spiltjeneste i USA. Amazon Luna streamer spil over internettet til bl.a. TV-skærme og PC'er, og abonnenter får adgang til en pulje titler.

Amazon som aktør på spilmarkedet
Amazon Luna blev afsløret i september 2020 og lanceres i denne uge officielt i USA. Selskabet har ikke kommenteret på planerne for andre regioner, men streamingmodellen er skalerbar.

- "Luna udnytter skyens kraft og gør det muligt for kunderne øjeblikkeligt at spille fordybende spil af høj kvalitet på de enheder, de allerede ejer," sagde Daniel Rausch, VP for Amazon Entertainment Devices & Services. "I dag er vi glade for at gøre Luna tilgængelig for alle kunder på fastlandet i USA med et unikt tilbud til Prime-medlemmer om at spille gratis spil, nye Twitch-livefunktioner til skabere og en bred vifte af titler, som alle gamere kan nyde."



Med lanceringen melder Amazon sig for alvor ind på markedet for videospil. Luna kan betragtes som en direkte konkurrent til Google Stadia og Microsofts Xbox Game Pass (med xCloud).

Der er dog visse forskelle i tilgangen. Amazon og Microsoft følger abonnementsmodellen, mens spil typisk skal købes enkeltvis på Google Stadia. Apple og Netflix har ligeledes lanceret abonnementsbaserede spiltjenester, men her skal spillene downloades. Nvidia har GeForce Now, som giver kunder adgang til spil, de allerede har købt i visse onlineportaler.

 Læs også: Sonys rival til Xbox Game pass får angiveligt 3 abonnementstrin

Amazon Luna understøtter ved lancering FireTV, iPad/iPad, Windows PC'er, Chromebook og Android-mobilenheder. Der findes på nuværende tidspunkt ingen app til Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Smart TV eller spillekonsoller. Amazon har lavet sin egen spilcontroller.

Amazon Luna understøtter spilstreaming i maksimalt 1080p60 uden HDR. 

Modellen på Amazon Luna er, at man køber 'kanaler', som er spilpakker. Amazon Prime-abonnementer får adgang til visse spil såsom Devil May Cry 5; Observer: System Redux og Immortals Fenyx Rising. For de nysgerrige kan vi henvise til tabellen, hvoraf mulighederne i USA fremgår. Amazon ejer live-streamingtjeneste Twitch, hvor der nu kommer integration med Luna.

Spilstreaming forventes at blive et stort marked i fremtiden og vi ser i disse år store elektronikgiganter søsætte deres satsninger. Næste fase bliver at skalere tjenesterne til TV-platforme og flere lande.

Amazon Luna i USA
Gaming Channels on Luna:
Prime Gaming Channel: Amazon Prime members can now play a rotating selection of games for free on Luna through a dedicated channel. For the month of March, Prime members can play Devil May Cry 5; Observer: System Redux; PHOGS!; Flashback; and, from 3/8-3/14, Immortals Fenyx Rising.
The Luna+ Channel offers a growing library of new and favorite titles that include more than 100 games for every type of gamer. You’ll find a wide selection of titles and genres, including favorites like Mega Man 11, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Control, SMITE, DiRT 5, Sonic Mania Plus, and many more.
The Family Channel offers subscribers a carefully curated collection of more than 35 games that are appropriate and approachable for the whole family, including SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom — Rehydrated, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, Garfield Kart — Furious Racing, SkateBIRD, Space Otter Charlie, Overcooked!, and many more.
The Ubisoft+ Channel offers access to play more than 35 of Ubisoft’s popular new games unlimited, including Assassins Creed: Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Riders Republic, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Rainbow Six Siege along with franchise favorites like Ghost Recon and The Division. The Ubisoft+ Channel also offers day and date releases like Rainbow Six Extraction.
Retro Channel: The Retro Channel features beloved classic games from publishers like Capcom and SNK, so subscribers can relive fan favorites like Street Fighter II’ - Hyper Fighting -, Metal Slug 3, Castlevania Anniversary Collection, and more for $4.99 per month.
Jackbox Games Channel: Family game night has never been more fun with Luna and Jackbox Games. The Jackbox Games Channel on Luna is the only place you can play all eight Party Packs from Jackbox Games with one subscription. Play popular hits including Quiplash, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, Drawful, and Trivia Murder Party. These titles support Luna Couch, a cloud-first feature that lets you invite others to join a multiplayer gameplay session instantly, even if they don’t have a Luna subscription. The Jackbox Games Channel is available for $4.99 per month.


New Features on Luna:
Live Broadcasting to Twitch: Now anyone can be a Twitch broadcaster on Luna, with just a few clicks. With the latest Luna update on PC, Mac, and Fire TV, a new broadcast button lets you stream gameplay live with a camera feed overlaid on-screen, providing a new, simple way to broadcast to friends or the Twitch community. With Fire TV devices, simply use a QR code to connect your phone as a webcam and mic.
Luna Phone Controller: Users can now try Luna on Fire TV using just an iPhone or Android phone as the controller through the Luna Controller app, available as a free download in the iOS and Android app stores. The on-screen controller is an option for new or casual gamers without a controller who want to check out side-scrollers, turn-based RPGs, trivia titles, and more.
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