With its official exit from the beta phase at the beginning of February and very favorable reviews from both specialized press and early users, the GeForce NOW service simply exploded. Millions of users around the world want to know more about this “Netflix” of video games, although technically it is more aligned with the concept of “hardware as a service.” However, several high-profile developers and distributors have given GeForce NOW the thumbs down and requested the removal of their games from the platform. Nvidia says it is working with them to bring those titles back, but what is the real problem?
GeForce NOW. “The Netflix of video games,” “Video games as a service,” “Hardware as a service.” To some users, this is the preview of a future they do not accept. To others, it is the possibility to escape the eternal hardware arms race and access high-profile titles without investing a fortune in components. Either way, it is already among us and making a lot of noise. A free tier, premium access at a reasonable cost, 90 extra free days, latency issues are minimal… everything seems to indicate Nvidia hit the nail on the head… but in recent weeks it has faced an (unexpected?) front of opposition formed by several developers and distributors.
The problems began as soon as the service left its beta phase. Capcom, EA, Konami, Remedy, Rockstar and Square Enix were part of it but disappeared after February 4th. A week later, Activision Blizzard joined the withdrawal, taking Overwatch, WoW, the Call of Duty series, and other titles. Bethesda did not lag behind, and its departure was almost total, with the strange exception of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. And now it is 2K’s turn. The NBA series, the BioShocks, Civilization VI, all the Borderlands… so long, and thanks for all the fish.
It would be unfair to say the panorama is apocalyptic because GeForce NOW offers more than 500 games right now, and another 1,500 are on the way, but it is clear something more is happening, and users are not getting the full story. Reasons? The first is the most obvious: money. Developers want an extra slice of the GeForce NOW pie, and their games will not return until they get it.
Other sources suggest a more technical detail: GeForce NOW is hosting the games to speed up installation times, something that would not be viewed favorably. Finally, the conspiracy factor points to Google. Stadia is a salt desert compared to GeForce NOW, but Red Dead Redemption 2, the Tomb Raiders, Borderlands 3, NBA 2K20, The Elder Scrolls Online, Doom, and Doom Eternal (when it comes out) are there. If Mountain View paid for exclusivity… maybe Nvidia should match the offer.
Unfortunately, all these maneuvers lead to an inevitable conflict between developers, distributors, and players. Nvidia cannot go to war because it does not sell games, and its best strategy going forward is to get those developers back, even if partially. Every time a company requests the removal of its content, Nvidia’s only option is to comply and say “we will keep working.”
As expected, the “exchanges” reached the web. Developers claim the right to determine which platforms their games can be on, following prior distribution agreements. On the other side, users claim the right to play games they already bought, and that the difference between local and remote hardware is irrelevant, since the main platform does not change (you have to link Steam or other stores before GeForce NOW can install the games). To this we add the support of some companies, such as Epic Games with its CEO Tim Sweeney at the helm, who confirmed full support for GeForce NOW.
That means Fortnite has gone nowhere. Acknowledging its presence, EA removed all its games… with the exception of Apex Legends. Ubisoft keeps its main franchises (Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy games), as do Valve, Warner, Bandai Namco (Dark Souls 1-3), Bungie (Destiny 2), Sega, and many more. In a perfect world, GeForce NOW would resolve these differences quickly to focus on expanding its availability around the globe. In this world, well… I think it will take a while.
Official site: Click here
GeForce NOW Games List: Click here
