Game Streaming A Reality?

Posted by: Toaster on Jan 23, 2010
Cloud computing is set to change the way we use our PCs by running and accessing all our day to day applications online from office tools (thing Google Docs) and if Google has their way even our operating systems (Google Chrome OS).By doing everything online you won't need a powerful, expensive PC since all the processing and storage is done on remote servers saving everyone a lot of money. The major downside to all this is that the quality of a cloud computing experience is all reliant on the quality, speed and availability of an internet connection not such a big problem for corporates in first world countries but it's becoming an increasing issue for home internet users with ever more stringent limitations being placed on bandwidth and speed especially in the United States and of course in South Africa a fast affordable internet connection beyond the reach of the average SA citizen and will be so for quite some time.

OnLive: Cloud computing for gaming

Now cloud computing is heading towards the gaming arena. OnLive has recently released a beta of their gaming-on-demand platform annouced at the Game Developers Conference last year.  With OnLive all the game rendering and processing is done on the OnLive servers meaning all you need is a PC that can play video and you're set to go. A 1.5 Mbps connection will be needed to play games in SDTV resolution (Typical of Wii and PS2 games) and a 4-5 Mbps connection will be needed to play games in HD.

OnLive is also planning on releasing a set top box to play OnLive titles on your television without a PC. The box will feature support for 4 wireless controllers and 4 blutooth headsets as well as 2 USB ports for a keyboard and mouse.

So far Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Atari, Codemasters, THQ, Warner Bros., 2D Boy and Eidos Interactive have annouced support for the OnLive platform and 16 games are currently available to play.

Criticism of the Service

Although a demonstration of the servince at the Game Developers Conference was reported to run without any hiccups, real world performance of the service could have its fair share of problems. Currently ISPs are unwilling or unable to provide performance guarantees and without flawless, unshaped, non-shared internet connections the potential is there for a less than ideal, laggy experience with OnLive

OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman has also gone on record saying performance is highly depended not only on the quality of the internet connection but also the distance between the user and the OnLive servers. Users further than 1000 miles (approximately 1500 kilometers) from the servers will experience unacceptable levels of lag so to achieve acceptable levels of performance across the United States OnLive will have to have a large number of data centers. So far OnLive only has a couple of hundred beta testers using the service and performance with 1000s of potential users is unknown at this point and could be very poor.

The large and popular PC mod community will suffer if the service were to take off since the games are stored on OnLive's servers and not on individual PCs and since games are not actually owned by the end users should OnLive go under or the servers go down gamers will be stuck without the software they paid for.

It is easy to see why game publishers are enthusiastic about the technology, it will help curb the rampant privacy currently plaguing the PC gaming market by having a lot more control over who gets to access their games but just like with DRM infested digital music and video downloads I prefer having control over what I've paid my hard earned for and should the technology become the prefered choice for gaming publishers gone will be the days of lending your mates games or trading them in for another.....

Your thoughts are always welcome.