Today Square Enix has announced a new browser-based cloud gaming service, CoreOnline, which aims to stream "high definition" games to Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. According to Square Enix, their new service will allow people to play "popular, console quality" games in their browser thanks to technology from Google and Square Enix.
The service is available right now, however there are only two games available: Mini Ninjas and Hitman: Blood Money. The sidebar mentions that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is coming in October 2012, while Tomb Raider: Underworld and Gyromancer are currently in the works. Support for these games is a bit scattered, as while they all work in Chrome, Firefox and IE8+ on Windows 7, only select titles work on Macs in Chrome only.
To play the games on the service you can either watch an ad, which allows you play the game for 10 minutes per ad at no cost, or by purchasing individual levels or entire games. In both games available, purchasing level unlocks costs $0.49 up to the 15th level, and then $0.15 after that; this actually makes Mini Ninjas more expensive to play the entire game (by purchasing individual levels) than Hitman.
Naturally the only games available on CoreOnline are published by Square Enix or their subsidiaries such as Eidos, and it's unclear if any other publishers will sign up to have their games available in peoples' browsers. If you want to check out the service, you can do so via the source link.
Via: Joystiq
Source: CoreOnline | Image via HDW
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