Google partners with Ubisoft to test video game streaming service

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Monday it has partnered with Ubisoft to test its video game streaming service by offering the latest instalment of the Assassin's Creed series.

A limited number of players will be able to stream the soon-to-be-released Assassin's Creed Odyssey, set in ancient Greece, to a Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop, according to a Google blog post.

The selected users can play the game starting Oct. 5 at no charge for the duration of the Project Stream test.

The test if successful, would put Google at the forefront of a new part of the video game business that lets people play games as they're being streamed, rather than using downloads or disks.

Google was developing a subscription-based game streaming service that could work either on its Chromecast or a Google-made console, the Information had reported in February.

The search engine giant also unveiled new tools for game developers in March, challenging technology rivals including Amazon's Twitch for a bigger slice of the lucrative game streaming industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)