The game “service” is the trend of the times, cloud games are the ultimate embodiment. Although there are risks, it is worth a try
Today, Microsoft officially announced a long-awaited new service: Project xCloud. Microsoft describes it as “the most advanced global game-streaming technology”. With xCloud, players can play games on their favorite devices without being restricted by the platform. Project xCloud will begin public testing next year, and the day is expected
In the Project xCloud promotional video released by Microsoft, the “player center theory” was proposed. Microsoft believes that players should be the center of service, Project xCloud service allows users to choose their favorite platform to play games, rather than being forced to choose between specific devices or games
Video Players use the mobile phone to connect to the Bluetooth controller to play “Extreme Racing: Horizon 4” to show the convenience that cloud service games can bring to players.
For game developers, Project xCloud allows its games to radiate to multiple platforms from desktops to mobile phones. Developers only need to develop games for Xbox hardware, and xCloud will “transport” games to different platforms without the need for developers to do targeted porting or optimization
Game developers only need to develop games for a set of hardware, and then transfer to multiple platforms with one click, no need for headache hardware compatibility issues.
Another technology giant, Google, also launched Project Stream earlier this month. Players only need to open the Chrome browser, and under the support of the network speed of 25 megabits or more, they can play the top-level “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey” in this era. No need to install or NVIDIA graphics card. The US media that participated in the test praised the game experience
Unfortunately, the scope of the test is limited to the United States, and I have no chance to feel it myself.
The two technology giants announced a game-streaming project in October. Whether deliberate or accidental, one thing is certain, both companies are optimistic about the future of cloud games
So, what is a cloud game? Simply put, the game is “played” over the network to the player’s terminal. All game programs run through the remote server and are passed to the player simultaneously, allowing you to play HD games without the need to install hardware
Online video can be viewed without playing a device, and cloud games are the same. The difference is that HD gaming devices are more complex and expensive than video players.
Online cloud games are not a new concept. Sony has previously launched the PlayStation Now service, and players can play PS3 and PS2 games by streaming with PS4. Capcom released “Resident Evil 7” on the NS platform in the form of a cloud game. Executives of game companies such as EA and Ubisoft have repeatedly said that cloud gaming is the future of the industry. Game giants are clearly confident about the future of cloud gaming
And on the user side, the players’ concerns only need to be condensed into one sentence: Is it good for me?
Answers, at least for now. Aside from the big company’s public relations’ rhetoric and confusing technical terminology, cloud gaming technology is still immature in commercial applications, with shortcomings and risks
The high-speed network is short of the short board, taking the example of the mobile phone cloud game demonstrated by Microsoft this time. Smooth cloud gaming needs to be based on high-speed and stable networking services. At present, 4G technology, which is the standard of communication service, can’t meet the demand of smooth cloud games from speed to stability, and how many players can afford expensive high-speed 4G network packages is also a question
Microsoft specifically mentioned in the release video that Project xCloud will fully support 5G technology. In addition to industry vision, 4G speed may not meet cloud game requirements may be the reason.
And in the home terminal, although the popularity of high-speed broadband makes the network speed bottleneck problem not as prominent as the mobile end, it considers the lag of high-speed broadband construction in underdeveloped areas. The coverage of cloud gaming services has been clamped down by national and regional network infrastructure. The improvement of high-speed network is a deep social and economic problem that cannot be promoted by enterprises alone
Everyone has the right to play the beloved game. The difference in player purchasing power can be solved by partition pricing, but the lag of high-speed network construction is not something that a single company can change
The reliability and security of cloud services is a risk. Cloud games have the potential to “go people go tea.” In theory, the game ownership of the cloud service belongs to the service provider, and the player is only renting the game. If Microsoft goes out of business and the service is closed, the cloud games that players spend on real money may disappear completely without leaving a cloud
After the “Guitar Hero TV” service was closed this year, only 8% of the songs could be played, which led to the player’s class action, and the cloud games also had the same risk.
And the security issue is obvious, all the data processing of the game is done on the server side, which means that the private data of many users will be in the hands of the service provider. Service providers have the potential to abuse private data, and even if operators do not abuse, user data storage security is difficult to 100% guaranteed
In 2011, Sony PSN system hacked, data leaks of about 77 million users, including sensitive information such as mobile phone number, mailbox number and credit card, it is difficult to estimate the economic loss brought to Sony and users.
Aside from these potential risks, the benefits of cloud gaming for players and developers are also obvious
For the player, cloud computing eliminates the need for players to purchase high-performance computers and consoles, reducing the player’s entry cost. At the same time, as Microsoft has advocated, as long as the network is good enough, cloud games can let players choose their favorite devices to play games, and also save the waiting time to download or install the game
For developers, they only need to develop optimized games for cloud server hardware, eliminating the cost and hassle of optimizing software for different platforms
Regardless of whether the player likes it or not, the game “service” is the trend of the times, and the cloud game is the ultimate embodiment of “service”. Despite the risks, the technology is still immature; but the benefits of cloud computing services for players and developers make cloud games worth a try