Month: October 2020

Microsoft today unveiled a modular data center that can be deployed to remote areas, as well as a partnership with SpaceX to connect those data centers to the Internet with Starlink satellite broadband. Microsoft said the Azure Modular Datacenter (MDC) is "for customers who need cloud computing capabilities in hybrid or challenging environments, including remote areas" for scenarios such as "mobile command centers, humanitarian assistance, military mission needs, [and] mineral exploration."

The MDC is "a self-contained datacenter unit" that "can operate in a wide range of climates and harsh conditions in a ruggedized, radio frequency (RF) shielded unit," Microsoft said. It can be deployed in areas "where temperature, humidity, and even level surfaces" would normally pose a big problem.

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  Microsoft's Azure Modular Datacenter. [credit: Microsoft ]

Bringing Internet connectivity to remote areas is often a challenge, and that's where SpaceX comes in. Microsoft is also using SES satellites as part of what it calls a "multi-orbit, multi-band, multi-vendor" approach to connectivity. MDCs will be able to use satellite service either as a backup or as the primary Internet connection.

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It seems like every few months, we hear word of a new studio formed by Blizzard Entertainment veterans, which isn't always newsworthy. But after a rough stretch for Blizzard's roster of real-time strategy games, the latest cast of Blizzard veterans starting a new shop has put a bright new gleam in our figurative axe.

Frost Giant Studios made its formal debut on Monday, and it's composed of serious names from the original StarCraft II team: its production director, lead artist, lead designer, and lead co-op designer. Those staffers are joined by the lead campaign designer of WarCraft III's expansion pack The Frozen Throne, along with a former Blizzard senior writer, a former Blizzard engineer, and a former Blizzard program manager.

As part of its announcement, Frost Giant made its mission clear via a single Twitter post: "We're launching a new game studio to build the next great RTS!" That same slogan was repeated over and over in Frost Giant's announcement video, with each of the company's eight representatives offering some version of that language.

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  "Free" continues to be the world's greatest marketing tool.

Last June, Google first revealed that it would be selling individual Stadia streaming games as full-priced à la carte purchases. At the time, we lamented that this old-fashioned business model ignored the service's greatest potential feature: convenience. The value of streaming media is often in the "ability to simply dive into a new work immediately, without having to think about whether it's worth the marginal cost of an additional purchase," as we wrote at the time.

Now, Google finally seems to be catching on to that idea, at least a little bit. Starting today, Google will begin offering time-limited, completely free demos for upcoming Stadia games, which can be played instantly in a Web browser simply by clicking on a link.

The program begins today with Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle, a 64-player competitive Battle Royale take on the classic maze game that evokes instant comparisons to Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35. You can try that game out right now just by clicking a link, with no downloads or installation required. While you will need a Google Stadia account to take part, you won't need to sign up for a "free trial" of Google's $10/month Stadia Pro subscription or even enter any payment information, Google says.