Update 5/1/2019: Antstream has achieved its original Kickstarter goal — and then some. Due to the response, the Kickstarter has received, the company has revealed a PlayStation 4 stretch goal. The original story follows.
A new platform called Antstream aims to be the world’s first retro streaming platform and is promising more than 2,000 officially licensed games for subscribers.
Antstream is planned for a summer 2019 launch for Android devices, PC, and Xbox One, with further support for iOS pending Apple approval.
This isn’t the first platform to rise up around the idea of curated game collections. However, the goal behind Antstream is to make retro gaming accessible to everyone.
Antstream CEO Steve Cottam recognized how strong a pull retro games have, a pull continuing to grow stronger, but saw no easy way for people to access older titles. To address those and other concerns, Antstream would require no downloads and will not use emulation. The idea is that as soon as a game is added on the platform, it can instantly be streamed.
Initially, the platform will grant subscribers access to 400 games, including a host of SNK titles, Ninja, and the Double Dragon games among others, with more added based on subscriber preferences.
A list of the games planned for launch can be found here.
Antstream will be following in the same path as Nintendo Switch Online and adding updates to classic games, with special challenges and rewards planned for each included game. It will also let players challenge their friends to beat high scores within a set timeframe.
The company also began a Kickstarter campaign recently, with multiple support tiers and rewards. Two of those rewards include a 6-month Antstream subscription for approximately $37 and a year-long subscription for roughly $52. Apart from those numbers, though, nothing has been said about how much subscribers can expect to pay when Antstream launches.
Another goal for the Kickstarter is gauging consumer interest and determining which regions have the most interested players. Antstream will endeavor to install servers in those regions with the highest response to help combat lag problems.
While it might not be the most efficient way of determining who would want a subscription, since not everyone who is interested will donate, it does at least suggest Antstream will work to reduce issues associated with lag.
Those interested in following Antstream’s progress can do so via Facebook, Twitter, Discord, and Instagram.
