Analysts: 2015 will be the year cloud gaming finally takes off

Remote game streaming services like OnLive have met with limited success, but analysts at data firm Strategy Analytics believe the recent launches of the PlayStation Now and Nvidia Grid game streaming services will be a one-two punch that catapults "cloud gaming" to mainstream relevance by the end of 2015. That's interesting from a developer perspective because it foreshadows a fresh wave of game streaming services backed by major players, potentially opening up new markets for digital games. In a recently-published report, the analytics firm predicts that the two services will reach a combined total of nearly 30 million devices by the end of this year. That number is expected to increase fivefold throughout 2015, reaching a predicted 150 million devices by year's end. We've republished the accompanying chart below. The key here is reach; as Sony and Nvidia make their cloud gaming services accessible on a broader array of hardware (both dedicated game consoles and general-purpose HDTVs and PCs) in more markets, analysts predict more people will try them out and drum up demand for more games to play. "2014 is proving to be a watershed moment with major players putting their credibility and brand names on the line to make cloud gaming work," stated Strategy Analytics Director of Digital Media Strategies Michael Goodman in an excerpt from the report. "While broadband speeds and consumer acceptance of subscription models have come a long way, access to content remains an issue for all services." The full report is available for purchase from the Strategy Analytics website.