Shulou(Shulou.com)06/02 Report--

The most popular game recently is probably Nintendo's best financial item of the year, the Animal Forest Friends. But some friends who don't have a handset can only keep lemon tears and watch others get together on the island.

"the whole world is playing dynamic Sen, but I don't even have Switch", which has become the existence at the bottom of the game disdain chain. Yes, to be the prettiest cub in the game circle on parallel Earth in early 2020, you need not only to buy game tapes, but also to have a Nintendo Switch handheld as a "ticket".

Hardware restrictions are not only a barrier to the large-scale popularity of many excellent games, but also the primary reason why many potential players are unable to surf happily.

And the cloud game that the industry reports to look forward to, can open the tuyere of hundreds of billions of markets in 2020? In fact, this issue has long been discussed over and over again, whether it is established game manufacturers such as Sony, Nintendo, or Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Tencent Huawei Ali and other technology giants, are speeding up the layout of the cloud game market.

But "cloud game" from a future concept, really into the reality, what is needed is not the direction, but a clear practice path and carrier.

On April 15, Baidu released "Cloud Mobile", which also brought together "BAT", the trump card of the Chinese Internet, in the field of cloud games. Baidu, which entered at this time, shows what kind of cloud game Republic and what secret weapons are hidden behind it? After combing through these questions, maybe each of us will have a clearer understanding of the rich industry of cloud games and the value puzzle of 5G + cloud + AI.

The unsolved problem of cloud games: the dimensional folding of cloud mobile phones

What exactly is a cloud phone, how is it different from existing smartphones, and why does it become a carrier for Baidu to enter the cloud game?

"Cloud Game" was first proposed in 2009, with the characteristics of "ultra-high definition, no delay, cloud operation, point-and-click play", carrying thousands of expectations. But whether it is Google's STADIA platform, established game manufacturers such as Sony and Microsoft, or cloud computing manufacturers trying to "reduce dimensionality," they are all trying to open up the prosperity of the cloud gaming industry.

This brings up three fundamental challenges of cloud games:

1. Technical limitations. Cloud games put forward high requirements for terminal performance, but the hardware delay delivered on the market still exists, which can not bring differential value to players.

two。 Absence in the middle. Game manufacturers with content resources pay more attention to the player market, while cloud service providers are more inclined to sell technology solutions, but the middle reaches of the industrial chain are not fully supported by commercial value and do not dare to enter the market rashly, resulting in increments that are difficult to release.

3. Cost bottleneck. For game developers, cloud games need higher landing costs, and the deployment of computing centers and high-performance servers will eventually be converted into development costs. The lack of efficient supporting services will also dissuade the new force of the industry.

The combination of the three forms the "dimensional wall" of cloud games moving towards the real world. Interestingly, Baidu "cloud mobile phone" gives a starting point to solve the above problems-- the comprehensive evolution of cloud + AI from the hardware layer, software layer and application layer.

First of all, the "cloud phone" uses an ARM server independently developed by Baidu and an ARM board design, which not only has low cost and low power consumption, but also can run the Android system perfectly and is compatible with Android ecological products.

Secondly, at the software level, Baidu carries out customized research and development based on AOSP (Android Open-Source Project) open source code, which can be run on ARM boards, and through virtualization technology, multiple Android instances can be run on the same physical device.

In addition, the threshold for cloud games has been greatly reduced at the application level, providing audio and video transmission and control functions and access to SDK at Android, iOS and Web, which eliminates the need for enterprises to develop control programs, network transmission modules, scheduling systems and clients.

In short, Baidu's long-term accumulation of software and hardware technology and industry vertical solutions is the fundamental momentum to promote the process of cloud games.

Opening up a New World of ToB: the Technical cause and effect of Baidu Smart Cloud

So the problem is, on the one hand, 5G network commercial officially launched, the market potential of cloud games also presents an unprecedented clear situation. According to the 2019 China Cloud Game Industry Special Research report, the number of cloud game users in China is expected to exceed 600 million in 2023, and the market size is expected to be close to 100 billion yuan.

At the same time, the screenwriter also attracted competition. Whether they are technology giants, such as Tencent and Nvidia working together to build a cloud game platform, Panax Notoginseng Mutual Entertainment and Huawei to explore the development direction of cloud games, and mobile development and operation of 5G cloud games jointly with fun games, there is no shortage of hardcore players with both technology and capital.

Among them, what about the role played by Baidu and the industrial export it is trying to open?

Judging from the results of "cloud mobile phone", Baidu's understanding of cloud games is not a single technical concept, but a systematic project for mobile applications. From this, we can briefly summarize several key elements of Baidu's participation in the "cloud game":

First of all, the core carrier of cloud games will be cloud computing platform. Surging computing power, intelligent solutions, efficient and low-cost services have become the best opportunity for cloud computing manufacturers to enter the game market. In the 2020 ranking of Cloud Game Enterprises published by Internet Weekly, Tencent Cloud and HuaWeiYun have surpassed game enterprises such as NetEase and Sanqi Mutual Entertainment. As the main force of Chinese cloud manufacturers, it is not surprising that Baidu chose to join the board.

(Ma Jie, vice president of Baidu, said that Baidu "cloud mobile phone" will provide a safe, reliable and efficient technology cornerstone for the entire cloud game industry.)

Secondly, AI has become the core differentiation advantage that drives Baidu to enter the game quickly. Earlier, the "IDC MarketScape:2019 China AI Cloud Market Vendor Evaluation" report released by the US research firm IDC showed that Baidu Intelligent Cloud took the lead in both capability and strategy with its excellent performance in AI technology, market and business, ranking first in China. The technological advantages brought by "Cloud + AI" have given Baidu the initiative in the "cloud game" game.

Different from other cloud manufacturers, Baidu has always adhered to the collaborative progress of the two systems of AI and cloud, which enables Baidu Intelligent Cloud to quickly absorb the technological nutrients of Baidu AI, and quickly incorporate the platform and instrumental AI innovation into the cloud, and then implant it into the industry, completing the "collusion" of industrial intelligence with to B market.

In addition, the "infrastructure awareness" of the service industry is also the killer mace of Baidu's "game on the cloud". Cloud computing is the infrastructure of industrial intelligence, but how to do a good job of "cloud service" depends on the "enabling consciousness" of cloud manufacturers. In the wave of cloud games, but also a large number of small and medium-sized or start-up game enterprises eager to "corner overtaking". But the complexity of cloud games also makes it difficult for the industrial world to make progress. At this time, Baidu's user thinking is looking forward to the role of "Poseidon Needle".

Through a large number of case construction and industrial cooperation, Baidu Intelligent Cloud has accumulated service experience in many vertical industrial scenarios. For example, Baidu's internal AI support Xiaodu experience can be migrated to "cloud scenarios" in games, video, live streaming, education, office and other industries. These are special abilities that other technology giants or game manufacturers do not have.

Cloud + AI+ industrialization ability enables Baidu Intelligent Cloud to build a systematic advantage of cloud in the game industry.

Judging from the current actions of Baidu Intelligent Cloud, it may bring three changes to the game industry:

One is experience. Based on the independently developed ARM virtualization technology, Baidu breaks the performance bottleneck, frees high-performance games from high-cost hardware dependence, and is perfectly compatible with TOP popular mobile games and App applications in the Android application market. Low-and medium-equipped equipment can also eat chicken freely, bringing a more extreme gaming experience to ordinary mobile phone players. At the same time, the accelerated popularization of 5G has also brought objective conditions to this industry. As Lin Ruijie, deputy director of the Internet and Software Department of CICT and secretary general of 5G Cloud Game Industry Alliance, said, the commercial use and popularity of 5G in China has realized the migration of cloud game business to mobile, and will give full play to the advantages of 5G in high speed, low latency and wide connectivity to enhance the experience of cloud mobile phone and cloud game users.

The second is the scale. The reduction of the threshold of game hardware has further enlarged the "cake" of the game industry, helping game developers and platforms to develop new business models, bringing an absolute incremental market, and enhancing the profitability of small and medium-sized developers. For example, MiguPlay, a game brand owned by China Mobile and a leading domestic interactive entertainment company, has built a cloud game strategic ecology of "one body and three wings" through cooperation with Baidu Intelligent Cloud and through underlying servers and cloud mobile phone product services. At present, the number of effective monthly active users in the whole scene has exceeded 20 million, and there are more than 3000 online trial / free play of premium cloud games.

The third is the cost. Baidu has nurtured the accumulation of search, information flow, small degree and other business for many years, and it has also been transformed into cloud services, and began to release energy to the outside. For example, cloud mobile phones make a new advertising model possible, and for game users, advertising has become an interesting user experience, from watching ads to playing with ads, and interactive experiences reduce the cost of getting customers.

In addition, Baidu Intelligent Cloud not only supports flexible procurement and seamless docking of public CVM resources, but also enables independent privatization deployment. At the same time, with the help of a series of supporting tools, including operating platform, statistical analysis, open API and development kits, including batch deployment and management of cloud games, shell-breaking retrieval and other supporting tools, enterprises can quickly build their own cloud game business and achieve low-threshold access. These key supports enable cloud computing and cloud games to easily infiltrate into the industry-end creation chain.

To some extent, Baidu's complete cloud + AI layout, as well as the intelligent dividend of deep farming industry, will use the "cloud game" as a new sail to sail farther to the intelligent era.

Cloud games change at the right time: Baidu Intelligent Cloud completes cloud "stress test"

With the entry of Baidu smart cloud, cloud games have new industrial wings. So, for Baidu itself, what does it mean to cut into the cloud game?

As an ultra-high-definition game service, cloud game is not only a gift of 5G to the industry, but also brings new technical challenges, and will become the key driver to open the cloud service market.

Every industry and enterprise has different requirements for cloud capability, and the cloud game is a cloud "stress test". For example, last year, the first day of World of Warcraft nostalgic service triggered more than 30,000 queues and the server went down directly.

In other words, cloud games not only need a stable and reliable network in hardware to meet the large fluctuations in the number of people online, but also need to take into account both computing and maintenance costs under a smooth and high-speed game experience to reduce the burden on enterprises.

The completion of this challenge not only enriches the landing scene of Baidu's smart cloud, but also enables Baidu to successfully enter this hundreds of billions of vertical market. At the same time, it also highlights the basic ability of Baidu to meet the cloud needs of different industrial scenarios.

In the future, more business models will be expanded to help other 5G features on the cloud. For example, cloud VR creates an immersive virtual experience, distance learning with VR effect on mobile phones, vocational training, live entertainment, and so on.

At present, Baidu Smart Cloud has released more than 260 products and nearly 40 solutions. The value of cloud games is open, which is also a great demonstration for ToB business in other cloud scenarios.

When Baidu Smart Cloud's high-quality solutions continue to take shape and deliver, it will also lead to a qualitative change in the to B market, which will be different from other cloud computing and technology companies.

The infiltration of Baidu technology is nourishing thousands of industries with the help of clouds, bringing new possibilities to the game industry, and thus stimulating the "changing King Flag" of cloud manufacturers.

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