UK startup Improbable has launched the SpatialOS Games Innovation Program with the help of Google to give devs of all sizes the power to build huge online worlds.
Improbable has created the new initiative, which will make use to Google's Cloud Platform tech, to give developers subsidized access to SpatialOS.
Those signed up will be given "Improbable Credits," which can be used to pay SpatialOS usage fees, including the costs of hosting games on the Google Cloud Platform.
The program will cover the cloud costs of developing, testing and deploying games using SpatialOS right up to when a game is launched.
As for the benefits SpatialOS brings to the table, the platform allows developers to create and deploy huge, persistent online worlds by distributing work automatically and intelligently across hundreds or thousands of servers.
It's being pitched by the firm as a cost-effective solution, and Improbable CEO Herman Narula says the platform is going to give smaller developers a chance to shine.
"We're particularly excited that both the partnership program and our open alpha will make it easier for small core teams, regardless of studio size, to create new game ideas involving worlds built on [a large] scale," said the CEO.
"So much innovation in games comes from small core teams, so one of our priorities is enabling teams to build a product they could immediately deploy, scale and grow, with players involved from the early stages."
You can find out more about SpatialOS, and get your hands on the alpha, by clicking right here.