AT&T Discusses 5G And Its Importance For Cloud Gaming

80.lv: Tell us more about your existing ecosystem of cloud-related projects. What are the main advantages you see in cloud gaming technologies? How are they changing the industry?

Ecosystem

Even before cloud gaming grew in popularity, we saw it as a perfect fit for 5G because it lets you game in the real world, so you’re no longer confined to the four walls of your living room, and offers faster speeds, lower latency and massive capacity for a rich experience. Of course, you’ll need a compatible device and plan to access the network, but overall, the marriage between 5G and cloud gaming is clear. It’s why we’ve invested in this space and teamed with leaders in cloud gaming to give our customers a first-hand experience of the benefits they bring. 

It’s why we’ve tapped leaders like NVIDIA to unleash the power of 5G on their cloud gaming platform. We currently have a GeForce NOW Priority Membership offer, which allows you to connect to digital PC game stores, so you can stream games you already own, as well as other free titles. All the while AT&T 5G works behind the scenes to help deliver the experience you’re conditioned to expect at home, but on the go. Longer term, we’re working with cloud gaming leaders to understand the detailed requirements of these platforms and the consistency needed for the end-user to have the best experience. 

Benefits for Developers/Publishers

As mobile gaming first started gaining popularity, you could game wherever you wanted, but you had to play games that were optimized for mobile because mobile devices were limited by compute power. Recently, some console and technology companies took interest in cloud gaming, but new pain points like buffering, pixelated graphics, and delayed reactions still lingered. People were used to getting the quality of experience they had at home. That’s where 5G steps in. With 5G, we can help fix those issues. 

Benefits for Gamers

In the past, gaming required a console or PC, a screen, and the physical cartridge or disc of the title itself. It essentially required a lot of equipment before you could even start playing. That equipment could really add up. With cloud gaming paired with a network like AT&T 5G, you can get that console-like experience on the devices you already own. 

80.lv: How do you work with developers? What’s their role in the process now and how can it change in the future? What are your strategic plans?

5G requires developers to think about applications and device capabilities in completely new ways. As AT&T develops and deploys these capabilities and demonstrates them with our collaborators, educating developers on these new use cases is going to be extremely important to show the various ways 5G can be transformative.

80.lv: You've used a white-label cloud gaming platform for such games as “Batman: Arkham Knight” and “Control.” What are the advantages of using this tech? Have you experienced any challenges during the integration process?

For us, the advantage is showcasing what AT&T 5G is capable of. When it comes to cloud gaming, a solid network is critical to delivering an excellent experience to your screen. With AT&T 5G, we can provide the fast-ping times, reliable streaming, and secure connections needed for gaming today and in the future. 

But pulling off an industry first comes with its own challenges. Let alone doing it twice – like we did with our Click to Play offerings. Not only do you have to solve the puzzle, but you need to make sure you have all the right pieces. 

First came building the network. Then it’s about relationships. We’ve had close collaborations with leaders in cloud gaming who were open to sharing their network needs. Then it came down to the publisher and offering a game customers wanted to play. And the publisher needed to be willing to try something new with you - for them to trust the process and go where others haven’t. 

80.lv: What are the main blockers that don't allow more publishers to work with cloud services? And how are you working with those concerns?

While developers have tried to offload functions from devices to the cloud, the issues of latency and consistency still exist. This is where 5G will greatly transform what developers are able to create. For example, we can’t currently plug in an NVIDIA desktop-class graphics card into a smartphone or tablet, but with the right 5G network, everyone can have that power in their pocket because that gaming computer processing is really running in the cloud. 5G will help to move things over to the cloud, delivering the performance of a powerful gaming PC to a handheld device.

80.lv: What about your partnership with NVIDIA GeForce NOW? Are you planning to offer the same type of deal (6 months of free subscription) for other cloud gaming platforms and other games in the future?

There’s a lot we’re exploring right now that I can’t get into. We’re focused on building the capabilities of the network and working with developers to make sure these concepts work. We’ll look at both sides of the equation – publishers and end-users.

We’re in the business of making the network better with gaming being a key vertical. We’re listening to gamers, developers, and publishers to learn from them so we can understand their network requirements and build on them.

80.lv: You did a “try before you buy” offer recently. Do you feel like this marketing approach works? Did it help you to grow the audience/sales/retention?

When most people hear “try-before-you-buy” in gaming, they think you’ll get to play for a limited amount of time (say 15 minutes or so) to get a feel for a title before purchasing it so you can play it in full. That’s not what we did. With our click-to-play offers, our customers can play the entire game – no time constraints, no gimmicks, complete with your progress saved in the cloud. It’s the absolute full game that we’ve made available to our customers that they can play for free.

We wanted to give our customers the easiest way to try a graphically intensive game to experience our network. Feedback and sentiment from gamers on the Batman and Control experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.

80.lv: What’s your vision for the future of “click-to-play” game trials? Can it become even easier with cloud and internet connection technologies development?

I expect cloud gaming will only grow from here and I think “click-to-play” abilities will open new opportunities for gamers to get into the action and for publishers to connect with gamers directly. This relationship and customer insight could lead to new business models and make it easier.

80.lv: Cloud gaming is becoming more and more popular over the years. Does AT&T expect users to play games through the cloud in the near future rather than traditionally? When will this shift happen? What regions do you find the most promising for cloud gaming development now?

I don’t expect cloud gaming will cannibalize traditional gaming. Instead, they will live harmoniously. I could see cloud gaming capabilities folded into future generations of consoles. There are major benefits with cloud gaming that are enticing – no more lengthy downloads or inconvenient software updates and I think the console will evolve to keep its relevance – so a hybrid model could be what we see next. 

With 5G’s qualities come new opportunities for new genres of gaming, like location-based gaming, augmented and virtual realities, and more. With advancements like edge computing, which moves compute closer to the end-user, 5G makes new game types possible. They could be more immersive, social, and interactive. 

Cloud gaming is just the tip of the iceberg for 5G. The ability to have intelligent applications powered by AI and even the promise of immersive experiences with lifelike, but digitally rendered, applications for the metaverse of the future are all going to be dependent upon 5G’s capabilities.  

80.lv: What factors are currently facilitating or preventing cloud gaming dissemination?

Facilitating

Mobile gaming is the leading growth segment for the video gaming space, and 5G is making a difference in terms of connectivity. It provides: 

• Faster speeds so you can start streaming games from the cloud almost instantly. There’s no need to wait for a game to download or an update to install.
• Less lag so you can see your actions respond on any screen in near real-time. This is critical when it comes to cloud gaming because every millisecond counts, and delays or interruptions are frustrating.
• More bandwidth so you can stream amazing graphics and incredible sound all without consoles or expensive equipment.

Preventing

We’re still in the “awareness” stage. Not a lot of people fully understand what cloud gaming is or how the performance can rival or beat locally installed games. Once more people try cloud gaming, and it becomes a part of their ‘on-the-go’ lifestyle, there will be even more opportunities to rely on the network to get the most out of cloud gaming.

80.lv: According to our survey, one of the main factors that prevent people from playing games through the cloud is an unstable/slow internet connection. Many players also don’t have access to 5G in their countries or just don’t use it. It’s interesting that you as an Internet provider, also working with 5G, can directly impact that. So, what do you think about this problem? And what are your plans and main challenges, regarding it?

5G is actually deploying at a much faster rate than its predecessor. An Ericsson report said 5G is expected to reach 1 billion subscriptions two years sooner than 4G did.

By the end of 2027, Ericsson forecasts that 5G will account for 49% of global mobile subscriptions.

Speaking from the U.S. point of view, AT&T 5G reached nationwide coverage in 2020 – just about 8 months after introducing it. Keep in mind this network is a trio of spectrum bands working together to deliver the best mix of speed and coverage for customers: AT&T 5G+ (using mmWave), AT&T 5G+ (using midband), and AT&T 5G (using low-band).

80.lv: What devices do people use more to play games in the cloud (PC/mobiles)? What about the trial versions, is it the same breakdown? Do you think the situation will change in the future?

I can’t speak for the entire industry, but the benefit of cloud gaming is that you can dabble in a variety of formats – you’re no longer restricted to one device. You can start playing on one and pick up on another. That’s the beauty of it. 

As for our one-click (full game) experiences, we had strong usage on mobile devices, which aligns with trends we’ve seen across the industry for cloud games.

80.lv: And what about esports? Tell us more about your work in this direction. Do you plan to develop it even more? What are your plans for 2023, regarding esports events and competitions?

For years AT&T has built powerful connections with some of the most influential gaming organizations – like 100 Thieves and Cloud9; events – like TwitchCon; and personalities – like TimTheTatman. Authenticity and accessibility are what drive our gaming and esports strategy, ensuring the fans are always at the center. That will continue to be our strategy moving forward.

Andrew Bennett, AVP, Product & Development, AT&T 5G