Cloud gaming is a promising technology to change the gaming industry. Playing video games has been a static concept for years, where you’re stuck with your consoles and restricted to one device until the game ends. However, with cloud gaming comes an entirely different narrative. It exposes gamers to play on any device, anywhere and anytime, provided there is an internet connection.
Currently, the number of players in cloud gaming has soared to over 30 million users and there are predictions that these numbers will reach 86.9 million by 2025. However, before this can happen, some existing barriers must first be addressed. This article details these barriers, highlighting Sony’s CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida’s warnings regarding these limitations.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Sony’s chief executive officer, Kenichiro Yoshida warned against some of the same challenges discussed in the previous section of the article. Yoshida mentioned that the cloud itself is a beautiful concept for gaming, but it stands at some disadvantage, especially with the technical barriers attached.
He says, “ The cloud itself is a fantastic business model, but when it comes to gaming, the technical challenges are high.” He further cited the issue of latency and how most gamers experience game lag with cloud gaming platforms. The time it takes for data to transmit from the games to the internet server can affect a player’s interest in the game.
Kenichiro Yoshida further highlighted the unstable nature of this technology as another barrier, as it relates to the fluctuation in the number of players using the platforms. The financial implications of running the cloud system with fewer players are mostly a hassle. At the same time, having many users logging into the platform at once can slow down the system or limit performance. Yoshida referred to these present times as dark times for the era of cloud gaming.
While cloud gaming stands to be a significant evolution, especially in the mobility of the gaming ecosystem, there is a need for more aggressive plans to accelerate the possibilities of its adoption. In Yoshida’s words, “There will be setbacks to cloud gaming, but we want to take on these setbacks as challenges.”
Sony Aims to Explore “Various Options” for Streaming PlayStation Games
Despite any challenges, PlayStation is planning major moves in the cloud gaming sector, says boss Jim Ryan, with details to be unveiled soon.
Noting the growing importance of mobile gaming habits, Ryan emphasized the cloud’s role in this shift. PlayStation has a history with cloud gaming, notably with the PlayStation Now service. Despite cloud gaming’s current minor market share, it’s seen as a potential game-changer.
Regulators are closely watching Microsoft’s potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard, concerned it might give Xbox an unfair advantage if cloud gaming becomes predominant.
AI & Cloud Gaming
Yoshida discussed the potential and possibilities of deploying artificial intelligence in improving the development of cloud gaming as a technology. Sony has been training its AI agent, Sophy, to outperform humans in the racing game Gran Turismo, and the platform could deploy this AI into cloud gaming in the future, amongst many other possibilities.
Sony is prepping to push for aggressive developments in the cloud gaming industry, and its CEO is optimistic about possible new solutions to this technology.
The Consensus On Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming is a godsend for the average mobile user and casual gamers. It goes beyond the scope of online games and extends to other fields, including sports, gambling, and more. It also allows gamblers access to top payout games in casinos through remote servers. The technology is broad. However, there is skepticism around its evolution.
The general outlook for cloud gaming is that it could be much better. When you look at platforms like Quora, Reddit, and others where people air their opinions freely, there is a pattern of critique over the execution of these games.
The scepticism is understandable, and much of it stemmed from the idea that video games were transitioning to a subscription era, coupled with the fact that it relied heavily on users’ internet connection.
Other common arguments are about the technical difficulties that could accompany the technology. Most players are concerned about the issue of latency, ownership and licensing, and internet dependency. The issue of game lag is a significant drawback to this system, as it often takes time to transmit data from the users to the internet server and back. The input lag is a technical barrier that most users find hard to overcome, threatening further adoption of these games.
In cases of ownership and licensing, the dependency on subscriptions is another barrier most users find limiting. In cases of a failed or exhausted subscription plan, users lose access to these games. Lastly, streaming high-resolution games comes with high data usage, and most users spend a substantial amount subscribing to these platforms.
Final Note
Conversely, access to physical copies makes it easier for gamers to retain access without constantly paying to play games. With barriers like internet connection, latency and game lags, ownership, and more, the general belief is that most gamers still prefer consoles and PCs to cloud gaming systems.
Although cloud gaming presently represents a small percentage of the gaming community, its technology is one of the major movers in the market. And it could play a huge role in the global adoption of mobility in the video game industry. The technology is evolving and, with proper developments, has the potential to change the game shortly.
