Next Generation of Gaming?

[InkofDeath]

With companies like Microsoft & Google endeavoring into the cloud with things like, Windows Live, Gmail, & basically the majority of Google's applications, it's not too surprising to hear news of gaming being developed into the cloud or integrated in some way.

 

 

 

We know we have the capabilities to base all gaming through online, so we can play on craptastic computers, as long as we have a good internet connection (Broadband). Imagine playing Crysis with integrated graphics on a netbook?

 

 

 

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2 ... 703,00.asp

 

 

 

Read that article.

 

 

 

Are we shooting the gun too early with this type of gaming? Or is it the only plausible course that gaming can take in the future, that fixes a variety of issues developers and users face?

 

 

 

$50 a year instead of shelling out $600 for a PC, $300 for a console every 4-6 years? I'll take the first one.

 

 

 

Though it won't be a sudden change, but I think things like this is the direction in which gaming is going to have to go. Whether gaming is the first, or slugs behind other companies and software using the internet like this, who knows, but the majority of things are going into the cloud anyways.

 

 

 

Thoughts? Many of the things to discuss here are in the article, thus there's no point in me satisfying the lazy leechers who won't read the article and not grasp the entire ideals here.

 

 

 

-- Ok, I'll be nice. One thing to consider is saving games. If you're not connected, you can't play the game. If the service disappears, so does all your games, forever.

[Lenticular_J]

That is AWESOME. I didn't understand the more technical stuff, but I did understand the fact that I'd spend, like, 50% less money.

 

 

 

Hopefully that one guy's dream of (basically) free, fast internet as a resource like water will come true when this does.

[____]

I call BS on their latancy claims and if you need the internet speed they claim... I'd also say there's a good chance of having a databottle neck on the client side if their PC still doesn't meet some kind of 'minimum' to keep the video rendering smoothly due to decompression.

[Lionheart_0]

I call BS on their latancy claims and if you need the internet speed they claim...

 

 

 

I agree. This is a great idea, but the some people will not be able to get that high quality of internet, which will hold them back.

 

 

 

As well, I'm pretty sure one would still need a good video card no matter what so that things become displayed.

[Faux]

this is basically the same as streaming HD video through your ISP, so I wouldn't doubt that you'll need fast DL speeds to make it happen.

[Nadril]

Interesting idea. Of course I'm skeptical on how it will work with thousands of users at once, but really this could be the future.

 

 

 

Of course the other part of this is how long will it take before computer technology and computer graphics get to a point to where you can't make them look any more realistic? I mean, eventually computer hardware will be able to do whatever, and honestly I don't think it's that far off. Looking at games in todays market (Crysis for example) I'm not sure how much further we can really push everything.

[Lionheart_0]

I'm not sure how much further we can really push everything.

 

 

 

 

 

Simple: Real life ;)

 

 

 

Replace RPG's with LARP, FPS with paint ball. We are already playing the best MMO ever :P

 

 

 

We are set for next gen graphics.

[PoorLepRecon]

This is really interesting. I will be looking into this the closer it gets to being launched.

[InkofDeath]

Couple of things.

 

 

 

The physical commands we put into the game through the control systems. Mouse, keyboard, game controller, game pad...etc. If these aren't presented in a user-friendly, and game friendly way, then this project won't succeed. For instance the precision of a mouse is infinitely important to FPS players, but lacks in RPGs and such. Could be forgo the mouse in FPS's, and have auto-target somewhat enabled to make up for the lack of precision...etc? This in my opinion is why they'll need optional or programmable controls that you can use with a controller, mouse or keyboard, or any other physical device. In my opinion.

 

 

 

As well if this kind of system replaced consoles/PC's then gaming accessories/PC accessories/Console accessories lose their importance and probably cut their sales into the ground. The mouse wouldn't be developed for gaming, unless the system allowed the mouse. The keyboard wouldn't be as beautiful and insightful to use as they are now, unless that system allowed the use of a keyboard. Suddenly companies will be losing a large percent of their sales to this system. They aren't going to stand around and do nothing while they're undermined. They'll either develop their own online systems, driving that $50 a year down into the $20ish area, or provide a better physical options for their controllers/gaming accessories.

 

 

 

Still it's hard to see this next gen system not include the availability for things like the mouse, keyboard or custom controllers from third party companies. If that doesn't happen then the system will fall to another companies device that improves upon this feature. Or consoles/PC's will not be defeated without such features.

 

 

 

That's another thing. Competitors. Microsoft already is interested. vALVE has the ability, especially with steam, which can easily be converted to this software, and hardware is no problem, just use your current PC. This takes away from buying an entirely new system and let's you keep using your netbook or you're $2000 machine. Such a machine could offer benefits, like less compressed video being sent, for faster response time and FPS from your end. Ability to render some of the game yourself to reduce latency even. A lot of things that we don't know about, but could certainly be used for an advantage to a competitor.

 

 

 

Out of this competition could spawn the next next generation of consoles utilizing this concept. The XboX two generations from now, could use this concept. As well as the Ps3 and the Wii. All they do is sell the controllers, and the physical box to connect with. Everything else is competed with the games offered, the type of user-friendly software and a range of benefits you get from each distributor. Eventually though people should realize that they're buying boxes to play games that they could play on any of the boxes, so why not just use one central box instead of having to choose? That's the dilemma that will face the current consoles if this new system goes live and offers a large variety of games. Consoles will ultimately fail and may never recover. Nintendo's Wii concept however, targeting the casual gamer leads into this next paragraph.

 

 

 

Audience targeted gaming systems. So instead of one box, and all the games. Why not different boxes targeted towards a variety of market niches? A box for the older people, with things like Brain Trainers, puzzle games...very friendly and thinking games. A box for hardcore gamers containing latest releases, MMO's, FPS's, top of the line games, cutting edge technology...etc. A box for teachers, to give them their content for classes, provide games for students...etc. The 1-4 hour game, for those that want to play games but quickly finish them. Tons of opportunities here.

 

 

 

Thus taking into account the above this solves the versatility, power, user diversity that the PC and consoles offer. It also rids of a ton of negative cons that we users have to face daily, like lag, poor graphics, expensive investments for games, machines, consoles...etc.

 

 

 

Also one begins to think...what's the purpose of the PC then? PC's exist to offer usability to those working, gaming, or general day-to-day things? Doesn't gaming make up a huge percent of why people buy PC's? The customization of them? Without gaming, people won't need $2000 machines. The general audience of users will need it only for work, like Mircosoft docs, or OpenOffice. Things like social networking, music and things like YouTube will be dominant. So thus a i7 920 is all anyone is ever going to need in the future. Sure, software will become more complex and innovating, but hardware these days is already 40 years ahead if you take out the 3D aspects of the PC, which aren't needed in programs at all. So desktop PC's will disappear and netbooks will rule. That's probably going to happen anyways as companies begin to try to make 22nm processors anyways.

 

 

 

@Nadril: 3D graphics is nowhere near where it's limits are. nVidia's 3D glasses are the step in the right direction, but the graphical quality can still be improved a lot. It's not us that's preventing these amazing, life-like graphics but the hardware currently available. Software is able to develop a 50Terabyte 10 second clip that is so similar to real life that you'd need to zoom in beyond the molecular level (in the game) to see the pixels and the blurring. Right...we can't even do that in real life. So they look better than real life? Software is capable, hardware is not.

 

 

 

Also virtual reality through plugs in your brain will be here by 2040 for sure. Matrix all over again, lulz.

[meb]

I like the idea, but imagine this:

 

 

 

SERVER DOWN, please try again in 5 minutes

 

 

 

The amount of spam that will follow..

[InkofDeath]

I like the idea, but imagine this:

 

 

 

SERVER DOWN, please try again in 5 minutes

 

 

 

The amount of spam that will follow..

 

Single servers? No. Try over 700 servers at a single farm, with capabilities to process over 30 million users at the same time playing whatever game. That's the hardware capable servers these guys have developed. They've stated they'll only be using high end servers, not the crap servers we are accustomed to, thinking they're good servers.

 

 

 

Been published @ TGDaily:

 

http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content ... 32-98.html

[PoorLepRecon]

The GDC (Game Developers Conference) is having an OnLive press conference tonight, about 3 hours from this post. I'm sure many sites will have the live video up for anyone who wants to watch it.

 

 

 

Here is the Gamespot link: http://www.gamespot.com/shows/on-the-spot/

[____]

I like the idea, but imagine this:

 

 

 

SERVER DOWN, please try again in 5 minutes

 

 

 

The amount of spam that will follow..

 

Single servers? No. Try over 700 servers at a single farm, with capabilities to process over 30 million users at the same time playing whatever game. That's the hardware capable servers these guys have developed. They've stated they'll only be using high end servers, not the crap servers we are accustomed to, thinking they're good servers.

 

 

 

Been published @ TGDaily:

 

http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content ... 32-98.html

 

 

 

Not a profitable enterprise; and source for those figures you just layed down... seems like a pipedream with those numbers.

[InkofDeath]

Not a profitable enterprise; and source for those figures you just layed down... seems like a pipedream with those numbers.

 

When they say custom high end servers, I have to assume they're talking about the really high end servers, in order to cope with the massive amount of processing required by the games and the amount of players.

 

 

 

700 servers, of high end equals to around 30 million users, roughly. Whether that's good enough for gaming, who knows, but I'll assume yes.

 

 

 

- That video just made me love the entire system.

[____]

So basically it's just a giant assumption, right - thanks for providing nothing solid.

[InkofDeath]

So basically it's just a giant assumption, right - thanks for providing nothing solid.

 

Actually I'm only assuming as much as the hopeful creators of onlive are. Whether anyone wants to take my assumptions to any extremes, especially when my assumptions are on things that are so uneasy to predict, like servers, how can one even take what my assumptions are as serious? I thought I was able to provide such assumptions from my opinions with people able to keep up with them, but I guess not.

 

 

 

Anyways, almost everything else isn't assumed, just topics that are debatable and need to be followed up as release to this system comes closer.

[PoorLepRecon]

So basically it's just a giant assumption, right - thanks for providing nothing solid.

 

Actually I'm only assuming as much as the hopeful creators of onlive are. Whether anyone wants to take my assumptions to any extremes, especially when my assumptions are on things that are so uneasy to predict, like servers, how can one even take what my assumptions are as serious? I thought I was able to provide such assumptions from my opinions with people able to keep up with them, but I guess not.

 

 

 

Anyways, almost everything else isn't assumed, just topics that are debatable and need to be followed up as release to this system comes closer.

 

 

 

After the video, I am extremely excited about OnLive. I really hope that this service is actually as fast as they say it is, and that it does not experience lag. One thing though is the subscription requirement. Depends on how much it is per month/per year. Also, since you don't own the hard copies of games, if you lose the subscription, you can't play the games you bought. :?

[____]

I thought I was able to provide such assumptions from my opinions with people able to keep up with them, but I guess not.

 

 

 

Anyways, almost everything else isn't assumed, just topics that are debatable and need to be followed up as release to this system comes closer.

 

 

 

I'm not saying you can't - I just find it close to bizzare that someone could throw out 30 million users and say it isn't extreme. 30 million people being served with concurrent HD video (compressed mind you) at such a rate that their fps are still current by the time that feed reaches their machine. Unless everyone has fiber optics direct to their home from the server, I can't see that being a possibility.

[InkofDeath]

I'm not saying you can't - I just find it close to bizzare that someone could throw out 30 million users and say it isn't extreme. 30 million people being served with concurrent HD video (compressed mind you) at such a rate that their fps are still current by the time that feed reaches their machine. Unless everyone has fiber optics direct to their home from the server, I can't see that being a possibility.

 

Yet my assumptions were based on the technology that they're wanting us to believe they have. They've previously stated in prior interviews that their video technology is much more efficient than current technologies, but I didn't know they were counting microseconds, not milliseconds. Thus that's what I'm basing it off of. It's not so extreme when you look at the technology they say they have, coupled with the servers. I am still skeptical, but that's whats going to have to happen for this system to be as inexpensive as they say they want it to be.

[Verminox]

Sony are looking into making 'PScloud'

 

 

 

Sony may be the latest company to explore the hot topic of cloud computing, the off-loading of software and services to remote servers, based on recent trademark filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

 

 

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has registered a trademark for "PSCloud" protecting it against it against all manner of video game-related things, like "entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line video game that users may access through the internet." The possible service, which has not been announced, could follow the recently announced Onlive model, which plays your games remotely, or Valve's SteamCloud service, which hosts Steam user preferences and game saves on outside servers.

 

 

 

If we had our druthers, the latter might be more appealing, as having more remote access to account-specific content could be a boon to PlayStation 3 (and PSP) owners who would like to have game saves and DRM-restricted content away from their home console. It's not like the PS3 is the most portable of game machines.

 

 

 

But if it were the former, the ability to play games that aren't stored locally, especially on the PSP, could be appealing. A cloud-based service could possibly come with fees attached, as OnLive has planned, revenue that would likely help Sony's PlayStation business out.

 

 

 

Or it could be a big, fluffy cloud controller. That would be just heavenly.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that some filed trademarks never make it to market as an actual product, so we're just getting our kicks speculating.

[Georgelemmons]

IF they can pull it off well, with little lag, and with the latency they claim, it'll be awesome. I signed up for the beta just to see.

[Georgelemmons]

Sorry for the double post, but I've heard a lot of rumors that this whole thing is an elaborate hoax. Anyone have any other information on this?

 

 

 

Inside Gaming talking about it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vouJTvrpHGQ# at 2:44.

[____]

nope, that's the first time i've heard of it being a hoax of some kind. No matter... more information will become available in due time.

[Expl0de]

Yeah, I think this could happen. It all depends on internet access. People with cruddy internet (or worse, none) wouldn't be able to play.

 

 

 

EDIT: I just signed up for the beta; the whole scheme looks INCREDIBLE. I can't wait to try it.