So… the concept of ‘cloud gaming’ has been around for a while now. Years, actually, several – including Vortex, LiquidSky, and Snoost – are readily available for playing video games from the comfort of your browser, freeing users from lengthy installations/downloads and overpriced AAA titles. But what about something more indie-centric? This is where the recently launched Jump comes into play (get it?), focusing entirely on indie games – which already makes it better than the competition, in my books. Oh, and it already features some genuinely groovy titles!
Seeing how the platform comes with a lovely 14-day free trial for new members (as has, fortunately, become the norm for all things streaming/cloud gaming), I jumped right in and played some Conga Master. Didn’t know much about the game and next to nothing about Jump itself, which is probably the best way to sample something like this. Or is it?
Jump delivers the best possible gaming experience via its HyperJump technology that delivers games without video streaming, which is typically plagued by lag and other issues. Jump was built using an innovative technique that provides quick loading with minimal download space required.
Well, either way, after about thirty seconds I was roaming the dance floor, getting my groove on, very slowly attracting the attention of nearby party-goers. With a bit of patience, this particular tactic did eventually result in me leading a rather lengthy conga line around, doing my best to avoid bumping into anyone (as that’d be rude, ya know?). Zero issues running – or playing – the game, at all, in spite of being on slightly spotty wi-fi. Colour me impressed.
Following that, I ‘installed’ Teslagrad (review) to test something a bit more taxing; both on my hardware and on how long it’d take to actually install the Steam version, compared to a low-fi title like Conga Master. Same deal: less than a minute and I was ready to run and leap across rooftops, well on my way to manipulating magnetism. Except I didn’t get that far because… had to get back to the article. But my point remains: prep times for games on Jump are amazingly brief, and the games themselves run great too.
Now, as far as the platform itself goes, after the 14-day trial, you’re looking at $9.99/month for access to an ever-growing library of quality indie games, new and old. And by ‘ever-growing’ I mean that we can expect “approximately 6-10 new games each month”. On the topic of money, based on info from the ‘account’ section on the website, 70% for developers, 30% for Jump. So far, so good, right? Oh, you bet! In fact, the only beef I have with Jump, at the time of writing, is that the desktop client is a tad wonky. But I’m sure its issues will be fixed eventually, and browser support is a perfectly viable alternative until they are.
Update: edits to clarify exactly what Jump is.