i think that in general we probably will never see a PS4 or a 720 if browser based cloud gaming becomes the norm. because these machines are more than capable of running this sort of gaming with a few firmware tweaks.

i dont think it will end as quickly as predicted here. but hey there is like 6 or 7 years of these platforms left. and the fact is gaming has to remeber if you go purley digital, youll sell less games unless you are fair with your pricing. so far new PSP titles on digital download are more expensive than in most retailers on the high street.

For the vast majority of gamers in NA the infrastructure doesn't exist to make gaming using cloud computing a reality in the next-generation.

I believe there will be a PS4/Xbox 720/Us released in the 2011/2012 timeframe.

The cloud will have to wait at least one more generation before it is practical for the majority of people.

for cloud to be a sucess everyone has to be on a minum broadband connection and this is a while off yet, maybe in korea and the east this would work, but they are always years ahead with tech, im not sure if there will be a next gen or not, but i do believe there is another 7 years in retail games, i know the ps3 will last this long and im sure the 360 can with natal coming soon.

The network just isn't good enough (in fact, anything outside of a laboratory never will be) to have only cloud gaming.

The network isn't even good enough to do consistent multiplayer or even edit word processor documents in the cloud. As idealistic idea as it is, the network breaks, chugs and stutters more than a PC and many times more than a games console.

I can see digital distribution working, and maybe some sort of streaming to allow you to play quicker, but I think cloud gaming will be reserved for casual games and demos, where you need quick access to play for up to half an hour, but it's not too crucial if your network cuts out in the middle: you can just go back to playing a game offline!

ah ah... great !
He didn't realize you don't need a next gen console to play using cloud computing. A poor computer should be enough !

So, lets hear it from another proponent of Holy Grail II of future gaming - the first one of course being digital distribution.

I say: show me the next gen technology, that providers are rolling out now - which they'll have to be doing now for it to be ready for current gen console retirement - technologi that will allow anyone anywhere to experience uninterrupted 60 fps, lag-free gaming in HD with a consistent feel.

No that's right, it not there - this is the usually pie-in-the-sky drivel

There's also the issue that many MANY people buy their consoles because they know they can get them chipped/modded and then get their games virtually for free...

I hate to say this, as a software retailer, but if you eliminate piracy you also eliminate a LOT of hardware sales.

There's almost no chance that the next gen will be cloud based. Broadband is nowhere near the level it needs for a smooth cloud experience in ALL areas. Sure if they wan't to ONLY sell in the capital cities of each country, they could be onto a winner; I somehow suspect that's not the case. At least I hope not...

I wish I got paid to say crazy things that won't come true.

"I hate to say this, as a software retailer, but if you eliminate piracy you also eliminate a LOT of hardware sales."

That's OK, because console manufacturers tend to make a loss on consoles.

I totally agree. I also think that refrigerators will be browser based, as well as ovens, toasters etc... Honestly though it gets a little old hearing how everything is going to be browser based in the future; especially since current browsers lack the capabilities to be truly robust platforms. Of course he may not be referring to traditional browsers like IE and Firefox. Does spall mean that video games systems will have custom browsers that are built with video games in mind, similar to what OnLive is doing? If that's the case then I can definitely see some real potential there.

Link01: Satellite internet suffers from huge latency issues, making it a really bad solution. OnLive plans on getting around the latency issue by having servers placed in every major city as opposed to forcing users to communicate back and forth with satellites that are 26,199 miles away. The real solution is just better internet connections. I suspect that a reliable 20 mbps connection would be idea.

I think these people sit in an office, randomly shouting buzz words across the table until someone can make a statement with them. I think that the only connection with this guy and clouds, is the place where cuckoos live.

I find it amazing how the sub-par casual market suddenly seems stable and powerful enough to host full-on, hardcore gaming, when it's still trying to cope with anything more advanced than "smack the penguin" or a-n-other Bejwelled clone. It just reeks of the typical "here's an idea that's beyond the current tech level, let's hope the tech catches up quick enough so we don't look like fools."

Maybe these people should just concentrate on giving gamers value for money, instead of trying to hide "innovation" behind blatant cost-cutting. The day disks stop appearing in shops, is the day gaming stops happening in my house... and the day I find another profession other than game development. Filling the director's pockets is not why I do this job.

"OnLive plans on getting around the latency issue by having servers placed in every major city "

Which would be great if multiplayer games only ever happened with people who live in the same city. It doesn't matter if you have a server in your own home, if you are playing a multiplayer game against someone on the other side of the world, you've still got a global connection to deal with. Except now, not only are you gong to be streaming the multiplayer data across the network, you're going to be streaming the game data across the network too.

LeeC: Don't get me wrong I'm not necessarily a huge fan of OnLive, but I do think it's nice to see companies thinking of ways to expand cloud computing to real gaming. If it fails it fails, but if it succeeds then benefits are tremendous. No more worrying about discs scratching, no more having to download patches for your games, and no more having to upgrade to the latest hardware. You simply purchase the service and play your games. In regards to multi-player, the way OnLive would have to support multi-player would be very similar to using server side hosting today. Fortunately server side hosting has proven to be the most reliable way to reduce lag in multi-player games. The advantages for a service like OnLive don't stop there. OnLive could put each server cluster on their own network and connect them with OC-12 lines. Now they've got a network outside of the internet that is optimized for online gaming. Today we have to connect our gaming machines through the internet. That means that we rely on a number of potentially unreliable routers that could be overloaded with traffic from non-gaming customers, making for an unreliable experience. Since we still have to connect to OnLive through the internet there will still be some reliability issues, but they should be able to greatly reduce these issues.

Some of the comments above seem to be getting hung up on the term "cloud". It doesn't necessarily mean brute force streaming like Gaikai and OnLive.

I expect the next generation (or rather incremental upgrade) of console hardware will be a hybrid. Big HDDs for downloads, but still support for boxed games, which will slowly fade into the background. Moving games over from one-shot products to ongoing services is going to a slow process, like turning an oil tanker around.

Robin: If the idea is really to move games from one-shot to a continuous service, I have a question: who, apart from those under the age of 16, will have enough time to play these games?

There are so many good games out there worth experiencing (there's a lot of sh1t as well), that those with a job/family would be hard pushed to play a similar number games of games.

I prefer a good single player game, which once it's finished goes straight into the second-hand market (and keep only very few for the multi).

P.s. sorry to all those who think I'm bringing down the games industry, I'll make sure I send a royalty cheque this WE to Ubi/'tari/THQ, along with the one for EMI/Harraps/Ford/Moulinex...

i kinda think therell be a lot of resistance towards a download only game service for consoles.

1 pre-owned games people rely quite alot on these to grab an old title at a bargain.

2 trade ins.

3 high street stores and competing supermarkets battling for cconsumers cash, always dropping prices to get a sale.

4. i think downloads work well for handhelds, ipod touch, ds (with r4) and eventually i think the pspgo will follow suit.

i think downloadable content works well for consoles but i cant see many people paying 40 quid for a digital file. people only really spend that kinda cash on something physical they have to show for there cash.

how does the r4 help anyone other than the greedy people out there who want everything without paying the price for it?

you forget the new DSI has an SD card slot and will more than likely get plenty of apps / games via download.

Why would it necessarily be 40 quid for a digital product?

With nothing between the publisher and consumer (except for OnLive/Gaikai/whatever) the price could be *up to* half of today's price.

n0n@me: I don't really see the time investment changing. Some games will get boring quickly, some will warrant dipping into occasionally and maybe a few will warrant continuous play over a long period. In the same way that retail games get traded, rented or kept.

I disagree.
For cloud computing to work, the telecommunication industry needs to be completly overhauled. While it's fine to use cloud for situations where there is time to handle data loss/recovery, how on earth are you going to handle it at >30fps and moving huge volumnes of graphics data/audio... we're currently using 1080p and various surround sound formats.... presumeably that is going to evolve at the same rate. Based on this you'll probably have to transfer 3 times the volume of data we currently do. Now with the UK recently saying we're proposing minimum 2Mb for everyone... That doesn't sound like anywhere near enough to handle the traffic being pushed down... and don't forget that most people in the UK are on restrcited usage packages too. Anything over 20gb a month and thats your usage capped.

For Cloud to be useable you have to push back to telelcoms and get that right.. no useage limit... much faster and reliable connections

I often wonder or everybody is drawn into the debate of this online distribution/cloud gaming thing and then simply loose focus on another major issue.

Everybody talks about centralizing, cutting costs and dropping the wholesale and retail. Still however, can you give me one good success story that is sole and single online? Don't give me music. For one the big hits are still in the stores and for second they can be online hits because you can buy them from SEVERAL places online, the prices are working better for online since you buy a nr. instead of an album with things on it you don't wish to pay for and.. more over, because the promotion is done by TV and (internet) Radio.

Games are big since they have big time promotion done by retail. The cash into making an item large size with mr. casual is due to communication towards customers done by press but more over by retail who try to get people interested in the games business and KEEP them enthousiastic. If that drops.... what is left. Will be people over time still be interested if only a single, far off (not in printed commercials etc) company makes a shout on it? I very much doubt that.

The industry talks about the cost of the retailer, but they forget about it's function in connection there product to the one it finally has to go to. That's what is so important. Over years items have grown through retail pushes... now they are big and the first guy on the line thinks he "could have made lot's more out of it" but forgets the reason WHY has can sell these numbers (which will drop as hard as they have risen without that same support).

Of course retail will remain vital for some time yet, but the reason publishers strongly consider digital distribution is because their margin on it is substantially higher than putting a game in a box on a shelf.

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