In our latest episode of Startup Project, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ian, the founder and CEO of High Score, a cutting-edge cloud gaming company. Our conversation delved deep into the current state of the gaming industry, its future trends, and the innovative solutions High Score is bringing to the table.
The Gaming Industry: Bigger Than You Think
Ian shed light on a common misconception about the gaming industry. Despite often being overlooked, gaming is actually larger than movies, television, music, and books combined – by a factor of about 2x. This staggering statistic underscores the immense potential and influence of the gaming sector.
The Evolution of Gaming Perception
We discussed how the perception of gaming has evolved over the years. From being stigmatized and misunderstood, video games are now increasingly recognized as a pinnacle of artistic media. Ian pointed out that games combine visual elements, music, storytelling, and interactivity in a way no other medium can match.
High Score: Bringing PC Gaming to the Cloud
Ian introduced us to High Score, a cloud gaming platform that aims to replicate the experience of having a gaming PC in the cloud. Unlike other services that require specific hardware or only work within a home network, High Score allows users to play any PC game on any device, anywhere.
Key features of High Score include:
- Support for over 150,000 games (full Steam library)
- No need for a high-end gaming PC
- Accessibility from various devices
- Subscription-based model with different performance tiers
The Challenges of Cloud Gaming
We also touched on the challenges faced by previous cloud gaming attempts, notably Google’s Stadia. Ian explained that Stadia’s primary issue was its limited game selection, stemming from the difficulties developers faced in porting games to Google’s specific Linux-based platform.
The Future of Gaming
Ian shared his insights on the future of gaming, highlighting two major trends:
- The rise of indie developers, facilitated by increasingly accessible game development tools.
- The consolidation of AAA game development among large publishing houses due to skyrocketing development costs.
Advice for Aspiring Game Developers
For those looking to enter the gaming industry, Ian suggested following indie developers on social media platforms like Twitter. He mentioned some notable figures in the industry, including Concerned Ape (Eric Barone), Jonathan Blow, and Ed McMillen.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve and expand, it’s clear that there’s room for innovation and new players in the market. High Score’s approach to cloud gaming represents just one of the exciting developments we can expect to see in the coming years.
Stay tuned for more insights into the world of startups and technology on future episodes of Startup Project!