Game subscription service Utomik steps out of open beta and officially launches today.
The platform entered an open beta period back in March, 2016. Since then, the Dutch/American startup has partnered with over 100 publishers to bring 750-plus titles to the platform. Unlimited access to these games comes at a $6.99 monthly cost, with discounts for beta subscribers and family plan options.
Utomik cites services like Netflix as direct influences on the model, aiming to make “playing games as easy as listening to music on Spotify”.
Utomik has also entered into partnership with newly-independent Hitman developers IO Interactive to bring games from the Hitman franchise to the service. This doesn't include 2016's episodic Hitman release, however, the rights for which Utomik tells us are with Warner Bros.
Streaming-only services like OnLive have attempted to fill this spot in the market for years, but networking issues tend to be a sticking point for many potential customers. Utomik claims to get around these problems by partially downloading the game at first, streaming the rest as users play.
There has been progress in this area, recently. Streaming and subscription service Jump positions itself as a means of developers to make money late in a game's lifecycle - something the firm compared to films being released onto TV.
On the streaming side of things, French start-up Blade has been making waves with its Shadow streaming box.
