Imagine a world where you don't need a beefy PC with the latest hardware to play the latest games. This is what cloud gaming promises but is it really the future or just a futile attempt in copying the success of streaming services like Netflix?
So what is this Cloud stuff?
The Cloud is one of the most vague terms in IT. Everybody is using it but no-one seems to be able to explain exactly what the cloud is.
Any attempt in trying to understand what the cloud is about, will leave you feeling like....
But I will try to explain it anyway.
The term "the Cloud" is a marketing buzzword that has no coherent meaning. There is no real "cloud". What really is happening is that companies use Data centers to host their servers and provide connectivity over the internet so that users can access these servers.
In most cases companies will use an-all-in one solution like Cisco's Flexpod (details here). This is a datacenter solution made up of Storage components (for storing data obviously), Switches (for connectivity), Servers (for the compute) with a Virtual layer (for Virtual servers and desktops).
These servers can perform various tasks so that all the "heavy lifting" is done on the servers in the Data center instead of on your computer. For example the servers from Dropbox provide storage. Instead of storing data on your own PC or laptop you can now store it "in the cloud". In reality you are really connecting to a Data center that is housing the servers owned by Dropbox and using their storage (which is of course like a gazillion times bigger than your hard drive). The same goes for Netflix and Youtube but instead of only storing data, their servers also let you play videos. The data stored on their storage is transported over the internet to your PC or laptop which plays the videos that are really located in the Data center on a server.
So in short this mystical "Cloud" does not exist. It's just a bunch of Datacenters filled to the max with servers owned by "cloud" companies who let you use their servers for performing tasks instead of on your own PC or laptop.
If Netflix can do it.....
Once there was a company called Onlive. Their goal was to mimic Netflix's business model and let you stream games to your home so that you can play them on a device of your own choosing (laptop, mobile phone, TV or micro console). So there wouldn't be a need for you to own a gaming PC with multiple video cards and a $700 dollar CPU. The best thing was that just like with Netflix you paid a monthly subscription fee to have access to the online library of games.
The idea was actually very good. Think about it. How cool would it be if you were able to play the newest PC games on your low end laptop or even on your TV for a monthly subscription fee? Onlive's servers would be running the games and streaming the images to your device eliminating the need for upgrades, patching and replacing hardware.
Onlive tried to deliver what they had promised (a lag-free cloud gaming experience) but alas failed.
In 2015 Sony ended the struggles of the pioneers of cloud gaming service by acquiring the most important parts of the company.
Sony used parts of the Onlive technology for their Playstation now service.
The Future of Cloud gaming
So will cloud gaming ever catch on? Well, it's too early to tell. Sony and Nvidia both have cloud gaming services but they don't seem to be really successful (yet).
The success of cloud gaming hinges on a couple of factors
The Business model
Well at least Onlive got that part right. Pay a (reasonably) monthly subscription fee and gain access to a interesting and extensive library of games.
The Games/ Support by the developers
One of the problems Onlive had was getting support from the big developers. If you want to attract customers, you will have to offer them the AAA-games, basically you need to get the "big boys" aboard.
Lag
Yup, This is a big one. The gaming experience has to be lag free. Casual gamers will accept lesser graphics but no gamer will accept any form of lag.
Adoption by The masses
Maybe...Maybe...sometime... in the far future, in galaxy far.... far away, hardcore gamers will embrace cloud gaming. But as it stands now I can't imagine hardcore gamers trading in their PC master race machines for cloud gaming. The target audience in my opinion should be the casual gamers who are more likely to accept this form of gaming.
Cloud gaming as a business model certainly has promise. There is no reason why the success that Netflix has can not be matched by a cloud gaming service. However the tech behind cloud gaming still needs some work in order to offer lag-free gaming. When cloud gaming catches on with the casual gaming community, companies like EA, Ubisoft and Activision will surely take notice and jump on the bandwagon.
So what do you think? Does cloud gaming have a future or not? let me know in the comments
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The death of Onlive
What is the cloud
The future of cloud gaming-Dutch
