Square Enix enlists competing publishers for new cloud games initiative

Square Enix today unveiled new cloud gaming technology, and will be partnering with other game publishers to deliver new kinds of cloud-based game experiences. Square Enix is calling its cloud gaming initiative "Project Flare." With the help of powerful remote servers that stream data to users' local hardware, Project Flare is to deliver "Hollywood-quality" animation in real-time, intensive physics and AI and streaming video to players. The company is partnering with competing publishers, including Ubisoft. Square Enix said Ubisoft's Quebec studio is working on Project Flare games that are streamed via the cloud, implementing Ubisoft's own "Arcus" tech. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot commented on the partnership: "Ubisoft and Square Enix share a similar vision for how cloud gaming will drive our industry forward. The technical advances made by Square Enix and Ubisoft’s growing expertise in cloud computing infrastructure will eventually help us deliver gaming experiences that are more accessible and immersive than anything available today.” Square Enix chairman Yoichi Wada humbly said Project Flare "will open the door for a new era in gaming." Developers can contact Square Enix about Project Flare here. You can watch more of Square Enix's Project Flare demos in the videos below.