GuShiio.com Shaga transcends its positioning as “another cloud gaming platform” and builds a decentralized user-driven network that fundamentally changes the underlying logic of game publishing, experience and monetization.
Author: Joey Shin @IOSG
Congratulations to Shaga for completing a new round of financing led by IOSG! We are honored to support Shaga in bringing unique value to the gaming industry through DePIN.
Pain points and opportunities for cloud games
The rapid development of cloud games has always faced a problem: even as technology continues to advance, the inherent flaws of centralized architecture still cause significant delays. Data shows that traditional cloud game services will increase latency by 40-150 milliseconds compared with local operation, an increase of 85% and 800%.
Physical distance and network distribution are critical for the best experience. Deploying game nodes close to end users can significantly reduce latency. However, building large data centers across the country is inefficient and expensive.
industry status
Advantages of P2P networks
Market supply adaptation
Google has tried to solve this problem through its cloud gaming platform Stadia. Although Stadia’s failure can be attributed to multiple factors such as marketing errors and mismatch in user needs, the core reason that is often ignored is the failure to deliver on its technical commitments. Its claimed “negative delay” cannot be achieved under the existing technology architecture. After all, delay is ultimately limited by objective laws of physical distance.
There are many similar situations. In terms of Xbox Cloud alone, it has 40 million users, but has latency issues due to its reliance on centralized data centers, which are often underutilized and far away from users. This solution is sufficient for some casual or stand-alone games, but it is obviously insufficient for competitive or multiplayer gamers who pursue the ultimate immersive experience.
industry status
Advantages of P2P networks
Market supply adaptation
The uniqueness of cloud games makes it an ideal testing ground for distributed networks:
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Shortening physical distances and optimizing network distribution are the keys to reducing latency
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Cloud games can provide high-quality services without requiring huge hardware equipment
This is the advantage of P2P networks over centralized cloud services: on the one hand, P2P nodes can be closer to end users; on the other hand, they can provide high-quality services without expensive large data center consumer-grade hardware and can cover traditional data centers. Areas that are difficult to reach.
industry status
Advantages of P2P networks
Market supply adaptation
According to Canalys data, there are 2 billion game PCs in the world, with 100 million new ones added every year. Although PC production continues to grow, device utilization for entertainment purposes has not increased simultaneously. At the same time, demand for games is growing exponentially.
The contradiction between idle high-performance devices and surging demand for games has created opportunities for P2P cloud gaming networks: by integrating idle computing power resources, it provides services to players who need low-cost, high-quality game access, especially those in emerging markets who have difficulty paying for professional equipment.
Therefore, we believe that edge computing and low-latency cloud games are expected to become mainstream game distribution methods, just as streaming media platforms make content distribution more flexible and convenient.
Shaga’s solution
Shaga is Solana Ecosystem’s DePIN product that focuses on achieving the lowest latency through edge computing.
Shaga creates a cloud gaming experience through edge computing: allowing any user to set up nodes and share game resources. Computing power providers can make full use of game optimization equipment, and players can enjoy a high-performance, low-latency gaming experience at a lower cost. Through this model, game PC owners can convert their equipment into a micro data center and gain passive benefits at no cost. Moreover, there is no need to purchase Shaga customized hardware to participate in the DePIN network, which greatly reduces the threshold for ecological participation.
Although Shaga is compatible with both Web2 and Web3 games, it is worth mentioning that Shaga’s innovative support for Web3 games: Through a controller with a built-in hardware wallet, blockchain interactions can be easily realized without the user’s perception.
Web2 Competitors Comparison
Compared with the Web2 cloud gaming giant, although Nvidia and Xbox have a larger user base, they both have shortcomings:
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High latency
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Limited supply of games
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Service performance fluctuates based on how close users are to the data center
Shaga is expected to stand out with the following advantages:
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Decentralized cloud game mode
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Edge calculations to reduce latency
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AI enhances gaming experience
▲ Source: IOSG
Comparison of Web3 competitors
Although there are currently many Web3 projects involving games and decentralized computing, there are significant differences in their technical paths and product positioning:
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Aethir focuses on enterprise-level GPU computing power services, but focuses on the data center, which is closer to traditional Web2 solutions;
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iAgent focuses on AI agent training;
Although Deeplink also deploys cloud games, latency and security are not core considerations, and mainly rely on the centralized supply of computing power from miners and Internet cafes.
In contrast, Shaga focuses on the field of cloud games and builds a unique competitive advantage through “distributed node network + social incentive system”. While providing low-cost, low-latency, high-quality cloud game services, it also relies on social tasks and token rewards. Mechanism to enhance player retention.
▲ Source: IOSG
application scenarios
#Mobile Gaming Experience
Imagine that you may not have a gaming PC, or leave your gaming equipment in cafes, libraries, or even on the road, and still want to play a high-quality game at any time. You don’t need to carry a high-performance notebook or rely on a remote Cloud Virtual Machine, just open Shaga on any device (tablet, mobile phone, or thin notebook), and you can “borrow” the computing power of nearby nodes and get a low-latency, high-fidelity gaming experience anytime, anywhere.
#Local Multiplayer Games
Shaga is not just a gaming platform, it is also a social platform. With its edge computing infrastructure, Shaga not only provides a better single-player gaming experience, but also brings innovation to localized multiplayer games such as “Nintendo Stars”,”FIFA” and “Iron Fist”. Through the FriendGrid system, users can compete online in real time even if they are not in the same room.
#Games and Live Interaction
Game live broadcasts are a huge market with 7 million active anchors and 35 million daily users. Shaga allows anchors to directly collaborate with selected audiences through the “one-click screen” feature, adding a new dimension to social interaction. By turning passive viewing into active participation, Shaga creates a more immersive experience.
We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, and the expansion of application scenarios will allow Shaga to inject a unique experience into the gaming community.
#Focus on user experience
Shaga has always been built around the needs of end users, whether node providers or game players. Node providers can use idle computing resources to create value for users while earning additional revenue, while players can enjoy the ultimate cloud gaming experience. Not only that, through the FriendGrid social system, the game experience has stronger social attributes and immersion.
To ensure a superior user experience, Shaga plans to implement a game status cloud archiving feature and create checkpoints regularly. If a node fails, the game will use cloud archives to restart immediately at another node. In the future, a pledge and reputation system will be established to encourage high-quality node operators through game theory mechanisms.
team
The Shaga team is focused on building user experiences, and we believe they will redefine the way games interact not only in the Web3 space, but also in the Web2 ecosystem. Shaga transcends its positioning as “another cloud gaming platform” and builds a decentralized user-driven network that fundamentally changes the underlying logic of game publishing, experience and monetization. Visit https://shaga.xyz to participate in the experience, or get updates through X (https://www.gushiio.com/playonshaga).
Congratulations again to Guido, Daeshawn and all Shaga team members. We look forward to witnessing this journey and are proud to be part of it!
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