Antstream Arcade strengthens exec team in move to be at the forefront of video game streaming

Antstream Arcade has made a new move to ‘put itself at the forefront of video game streaming’, welcoming the games industry veteran, Mike Rouse to lead its production team and help build out its internal studio.

The move comes during a period of record user growth for the company following its establishment as the world’s first free-to-play game streaming platform.

With over 20 years’ experience in the games industry, Rouse joins Antstream from 2K’s Brighton based Hangar 13, where he was head of production and responsible for developing and co-ordinating strategy across the studio’s four global locations and 400 employees. His career has seen him work in key roles at Microsoft where he oversaw the development of Microsoft Hololens, and at Sony.

With extensive experience in pushing the boundaries of how players interact with games, Rouse will be looking to put Antsream Arcade at the forefront of video game streaming, helping the company to build upon the slate of licensing partnerships it has already secured with the likes of Disney and Bandai as it eyes growth in the market.

Rouse said: “As a lifelong fan of what we now have to call “vintage” games, working at Antstream Arcade represents the perfect combination of my passion for retro gaming and changing how players interact with games themselves. I think it is very likely that we are nearing the end of physical consoles – with physical media losing relevance to the rise of cloud-based gaming, it is all but inevitable.

“As the first company to successfully launch a free-to-play platform with thousands of games, Antstream is well placed to be at the forefront of this change.”

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, said: “Between our new licensing partnerships with the likes of Disney and Bandai, and our decision to adopt a free-to-play model, we’re in a period of immense change here at Antstream. Bringing on someone with Mike’s expertise and experience in altering how people play games is a huge boost for us as video game streaming continues to drive the game industry forward as a whole.

“We look forward to working with him in taking our library of iconic video games to the biggest audience possible.”

Mike’s love of retro gaming is on full display on his Retro Gamer Boy YouTube channel, where he posts weekly unique videos delving into his own extensive retro gaming collection, and discussing the best retro games and consoles ever made.

His retro gaming goal is to collect every SEGA Megadrive game, with only a few notable holdouts like Pirates of Darkwater standing between him and the holy grail of completionism.

Antstream Arcade strengthens exec team in move to be at the forefront of video game streaming

The video game streaming platform, Antstream Arcade is continuing on its path to alter the way people play games, with the appointment of the games industry veteran Mike Rouse to lead its production team and build its internal studio. The move comes amid a period of record user growth for the company and its world’s first free-to-play game streaming platform.

Rouse joins Anstream from 2K’s Brighton based Hangar 13 where he was head of production and responsible for developing and co-ordinating strategy across the studio’s four global locations and 400 employees.

He brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the games industry, having worked with major companies including Microsoft, where he worked on projects including Hololens, and Sony. He brings his experience in pushing the boundaries of how players interact with games to his new role at Antstream Arcade, as it continues to expand its offering.

Rouse said: “As a lifelong fan of what we now have to call “vintage” games, working at Antstream Arcade represents the perfect combination of my passion for retro gaming and changing how players interact with games themselves. I think it is very likely that we are nearing the end of physical consoles – with physical media losing relevance to the rise of cloud-based gaming, it is all but inevitable.

“As the first company to successfully launch a free-to-play platform with thousands of games, Antstream is well placed to be at the forefront of this change.”

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, added: “Between our new licensing partnerships with the likes of Disney and Bandai, and our decision to adopt a free-to-play model, we’re in a period of immense change here at Antstream. Bringing on someone with Mike’s expertise and experience in altering how people play games is a huge boost for us as video game streaming continues to drive the game industry forward as a whole.

“We look forward to working with him in taking our library of iconic video games to the biggest audience possible.”

Mike’s love of retro gaming is on full display on his Retro Gamer Boy YouTube channel, where he posts weekly unique videos delving into his own extensive retro gaming collection, and discussing the best retro games and consoles ever made. His retro gaming goal is to collect every SEGA Megadrive game, with only a few notable holdouts like Pirates of Darkwater standing between him and the holy grail of completionism.

Game streaming platform Antstream adds retro Star Wars slate in new Disney partnership

The retro games platform, Antstream Arcade has struck up a partnership with Disney to add its portfolio of classic Star Wars titles to the extensive library of fully licensed games.

The games slate will be made available on a single platform for the first time and will include the entire Super Star Wars series for the SNES and Star Wars for the NES. Adventure games like Grim Fandango and titles from the Monkey Island series will also be joining the platform.

Starting from today, however, games and subscribers to the Antstream service will be able to play classic Super Star Wars titles: Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

All the games available via Antstream Arcade’s cloud-based streaming service are available using any 4G connection or better, and are playable on almost any device for the cost of a single flat monthly subscription. Expanding Antstream Arcade’s library of classics and curios, this will take the total number of licensed games to 3786, with five to seven new games being added to the platform every week.

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing the retro Star Wars series to customers, taking us one step closer to delivering thousands of iconic games to the global gaming community through the power of streaming technology.

“The fact will be able to play Star Wars for the SNES on their laptop, Grim Fandango on their TV or Day of the Tentacle is a massive win for both existing and new audiences.”

The Disney partnership follows recent deals struck with retro gaming giants Taito, Atari, and Bandai Namco – making Antstream Arcade’s library the largest collection of retro games in the world.

Thanks to Antstream Arcade’s streaming technology all these games can be played on TVs, laptops, desktops, tablets and of course mobile phones, bringing more iconic games to a wider audience than any platform ever before.

Earthworm Jim lands on retro gaming platform Antstream Arcade in Interplay Entertainment partnership

Earthworm Jim! From the soil he did crawl and onto the retro games platform Antstream Arcade he now falls, thanks to a new licensing deal with Interplay Entertainment.

This is the latest development for Antstream, the games streaming platform that specialises in retro and throw back video game titles. It follows the firm’s recent deal with Bandai Namco and will see popular titles such as Earthworm Jim and Descent become available for gaming fans of a certain vintage across the globe.

With all games streamable over any 4G connection or better and on multiple smart devices, having access to some of the most celebrated titles from the world’s leading games and entertainment brands strengthens Antstream’s position as the de facto retro game streaming company.

For monthly subscription, gamers will be able to play Antstream’s growing library of licensed classics and curios, as well as enjoy the chance to participate in a wide range of global tournaments and leaderboards.

Steve Cottam, CEO at Antstream, said: “Interplay is one of the most iconic and well- respected games publishers and developers, so this deal is hugely important for Antstream.

“Following other high-profile partnerships we have signed, and with more deals in the pipeline, we are clearly demonstrating the strength of our position in the gaming market and the huge growth potential that cloud-based streaming services creates.”

Herve Caen, CEO of Interplay Entertainment, added: “It is always great to partner with a company which is clearly leading the way in gaming and, in this instance, retro gaming. Antstream Arcade is on track to doing just that, substantiated by its strong vision and having a solid understanding and passion for the industry. We are very much looking forward to what this collaboration will deliver.”

Retro game streaming platform Antstream Arcade lands Bandai Namco Entertainment partnership

The streaming retro video game subscription service, Antstream Arcade, has struck up a deal with Bandai Namco Entertainment to deliver its library of classic retro titles, including Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug to gamers across the globe.

Under the new partnership, 27 Bandai Namco Entertainment titles will be added to Antstream’s already expansive library of more than 1,000 fully licensed retro games. The new suite of Bandai games will be joining the likes of Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Double Dragon on the platform.

All games on Antstream Arcade’s platform are streamable over any 4G connection or better, and available on almost any device, for the cost of a single flat monthly subscription.

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, said: “Having grown up playing games like Pac-Man, to be able to announce that we are partnering with Bandai Namco Entertainment is hugely exciting. No library of classic retro games would be complete without Bandai Namco Entertainment’s portfolio, and we could not be happier to be able to bring these games, and many more, to our thousands of players worldwide – along with new challenger modes and tournaments, updating them for a modern audience.”

Yutaka Fuse, Pac-Man room manager of Bandai Namco Entertainment, said: “Antstream Arcade is the ideal partner for Bandai Namco Entertainment to bring its many classic games to both existing fans and new players.

“It underscores the potential of streaming games as an important part of the future of gaming in allowing players to instantly access a vast library of titles easily and legally, including many hidden gems of gaming history that may have been harder to play for the global network of retro gamers.”

Bandai joins Antstream’s long list of licensing partners such as Taito, SNK and Atari in providing their catalog of games to its expanding library of classics and curios. In addition to providing gaming rights holders an additional revenue stream from the use of their content, Antstream also provides a wealth of gameplay data to rights holders that want to know how their games are being played, by who and for how long so they can decide how to shape their franchises for audiences in the future.

Thanks to Antstream Arcade’s streaming technology all of these games can be played on TVs, laptops, desktops, tablets and of course mobile phones – bringing more iconic games to a wider audience than any platform ever before.

Retro game streaming platform Antstream Arcade lands Bandai Namco Entertainment partnership

The streaming retro video game subscription service, Antstream Arcade, has struck up a deal with Bandai Namco Entertainment to deliver its library of classic retro titles, including Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug to gamers across the globe.

Under the new partnership, 27 Bandai Namco Entertainment titles will be added to Antstream’s already expansive library of more than 1,000 fully licensed retro games. The new suite of Bandai games will be joining the likes of Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Double Dragon on the platform.

All games on Antstream Arcade’s platform are streamable over any 4G connection or better, and available on almost any device, for the cost of a single flat monthly subscription.

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream, said: “Having grown up playing games like Pac-Man, to be able to announce that we are partnering with Bandai Namco Entertainment is hugely exciting. No library of classic retro games would be complete without Bandai Namco Entertainment’s portfolio, and we could not be happier to be able to bring these games, and many more, to our thousands of players worldwide – along with new challenger modes and tournaments, updating them for a modern audience.”

Yutaka Fuse, Pac-Man room manager of Bandai Namco Entertainment, said: “Antstream Arcade is the ideal partner for Bandai Namco Entertainment to bring its many classic games to both existing fans and new players.

“It underscores the potential of streaming games as an important part of the future of gaming in allowing players to instantly access a vast library of titles easily and legally, including many hidden gems of gaming history that may have been harder to play for the global network of retro gamers.”

Bandai joins Antstream’s long list of licensing partners such as Taito, SNK and Atari in providing their catalog of games to its expanding library of classics and curios. In addition to providing gaming rights holders an additional revenue stream from the use of their content, Antstream also provides a wealth of gameplay data to rights holders that want to know how their games are being played, by who and for how long so they can decide how to shape their franchises for audiences in the future.

Thanks to Antstream Arcade’s streaming technology all of these games can be played on TVs, laptops, desktops, tablets and of course mobile phones – bringing more iconic games to a wider audience than any platform ever before.