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Avalanche Studios CTO: “Xbox One Cloud Functionality Pushed as a Marketing Tool”

"With E3 2013 only a few days away, and the next generation of gaming primed to unfold before our very eyes, the controversies and collateral damage that new technology brings is only now becoming more apparent. Microsoft recently sent out new information regarding its policies for privacy, connectivity and more on the Xbox One, which has effortlessly made people more worried, while Sony gets ready to reveal the PlayStation 4 design that’s been hidden for months now.
We spoke to Avalanche Studios CTO and co-founder Linus Blomberg about the next generation of consoles, including their out-performing the PC, used game sales and how Cloud functionality on the Xbox One is a mere marketing tool."

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gamingbolt.com
Reborn4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

This CTO has a lot to say lately.

One day its hugely positive for One, another.. Expect tomorrow for him to say it will push the boundaries for games.

NYC_Gamer4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

It's all PR talk they have to say positive things about platforms they plan on supporting

kennyg37394733d ago

Why would any company say anything negative about product their supporting to the media?

Blackdeath_6634733d ago

as a dev with all the money grabbing policies on the XBone he would want to be on xbox fans' good side.

HammadTheBeast4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

This whole "Cloud" thing is PR bulls***.

The cloud can't be used to magically make your one xbox into the power of 4. You can have more data, but the raw power is still limited.

The cloud CANNOT be used for instant gameplay, for realtime things and for making the games magically better.

Some of the background stuff which is static could be enhanced, for example, higher resolution backgrounds in fighting or racing games.

His stance on always on:

"I’m pretty sure people complained about new machinery requiring electricity to function too"

What a joke.

NewMonday4733d ago

this "Cloud computing" BS will a hard to sell to gamers because most of us are nerds/geeks who nitpick details to death, and the "cloud" will be found out as a fake excuse,SimCity was just a dress rehearsal.

ShinMaster4732d ago (Edited 4732d ago )

They had a very defensive attitude towards DRM and compared $60 physical game copies with cheap digital mobile games.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4732d ago
ShugaCane4733d ago

It's to make everybody believe they're not being paid by MS to support the Xbox One.

Skate-AK4733d ago

Well everyone gets paid to support a platform. Or else there would be on business.

wastedcells4733d ago

Ya he is way to vocal. I'm guessing they are making an x1 exclusive or something and now they are nervous because of all the bad press.

SilentNegotiator4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

It's exactly like Adam Orth's comments. People said "Just because Orth support's online requirements, doesn't mean Xbox will have them"

But if it looks like a duck and acts like a duck...

Avalanche MUST be making something exclusive to the Xbox One. They've been on an absolute tirade lately, full of damage control.

Psn8004733d ago

I knew Ms would try to wreck our industry when gamers said during the release of the first Xbox no there aright and are all about the games then this bombshell with them but they are taking on us gamers who stick together and we will stop you .

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4733d ago

I fear Xbox One version of just cause 3 is lead platform.

He loves xbox right now.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4732d ago
GamersRulz4733d ago

Even Avalanch studio called BS for the cloud. Lol

"The cloud functionality is pushed as a marketing tool to compensate for the less favorable hardware specs. I understand why they feel they need to do this, as the specs on paper aren’t necessarily representative of the actual performance. But the way it’s presented I feel is misleading at best. It’s just common sense that sending data over an internet connection isn’t even remotely comparable to sending data over a high-speed internal memory bus"

I hope this will knock some common sense on some people!

Pintheshadows4733d ago

Sadly, I wouldn't count on it. GreenPowerz will come in here soon making some nonsense up to defend 'teh cloudz'.

OlgerO4733d ago

lol you beat me to it with 5 seconds

OlgerO4733d ago

Greenpowerz where are you ?

shoddy4733d ago

Jokeonyou is still around

quenomamen4733d ago

Hes at Costco loading up Monsters for another all night COD session.

TheSurg4733d ago

Ow you didnt put here the last lines where he says "That is not to say that the cloud functionality isn’t an advantage, it’s a great advantage! It offloads the burden of running a backend infrastructure for connected games, which is a huge win and opens up for very interesting game designs."

Next time make sure you don't just pick the worst things, Fanchild.

KillrateOmega4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

But to what extent will it be applicable? With our current internet infrastructure, the average household internet connection will simply not be able to handle significant loads.

Even then, the cloud can only be used for enhancing non-sensitive loads. If they tried to have it take on anything else, there would be mad latency issues. After all, the data is having to be sent over to a distant server, then sent back again. It's not an instantaneous process.

The day when our infrastructure is developed enough to the point where they'll be able to actually provide a '200% boost in power' via the cloud will not come for many years. This isn't up for debate, it's just how it is.

NewMonday4733d ago

@TheSurg

the concept is called "dedicated servers", this may come as a shock but it's nothing new.

TheSurg4733d ago

@KillrateOmega

You can think of it like this - you can try to solve crazy ars equasion that would stress your brain a lot, or you can use a calculator which will give you the solution in a second. That's how cloud can help and it takes basicly NO BANDWITH to do it.

Even veyr slow connection can easily handle plenty of compressed data. It's not pictures or audio, it's just bunch of 0 and 1 that tells your system what should be where at the moment without your system needing to compute it by itself.You could have a game where things like AI, background particles /destruction , real time enviroment deformations (trees that grow etc etc.) economics and so on are computed by the servers and your system can focus on other things. It's not all about the graphics, it's about how advanced gameplay would be and how alive the worlds would feel.

Any idea why Skyrim looks so much better than Oblivion eventho it's same engine same hardware? It's because they TOOK OUT half of AI actions, background computations that made the world alive etc. For example in Oblivion, NPC's were changing clothes when going to sleep, NPCs could loot killed enemies, NPC's would pick up weapons from ground if they don't have any, there was a random NPC conversation simulation which made the world WAY MORE ALIVE, and they were talking about usefull things (NOT SCRIPTED). All that cool stuff was taken out from SKYRIM to offload the machine and make better graphics. With help of cloud you could keep all of that together, computations like AI go to cloud, which will allow for better graphics eventually. This ofcourse would be an example of an MMO.

MysticStrummer4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

@TheSurg - You're greatly overestimating what the cloud can do, even with a 50mbps connection. The US, which (as we've been told time and time again) is the biggest gaming market, has an average connection speed of around 7mbps. At that speed, the cloud can stream less than 1/20000 of the data PS4's memory system can handle.

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

The cloud will not be a factor this generation. Not for computing anyway.

JokesOnYou4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

I have know idea what the cloud will or wont do for games as Im not a dev but of course he would conveniently select only the negative part of the qoute.

lol, and when he says something positive about X1 tomorrow his opinion will no longer be gospel.

Hicken4732d ago

You don't have to be a developer to know what cloud computing can or can't do for gaming. All you really have to do is know what cloud computing can do, what internet is capable of, and what local hardware can do.

Even basic knowledge of these things will tell you that latency would be an issue, that internet limitations would be an issue, that local hardware would be faster(unless it was much weaker, poorly designed, or the perfect storm of conditions appeared for the cloud).

No degree needed.

@JokesOnYou: It's always so black and white. His opinion isn't "gospel" now. It's just more truthful than it has been. Those of us with our heads not in the sand or up MS' rear can see how much of what he's said thus far is BS.

JokesOnYou4732d ago (Edited 4732d ago )

"It's just more truthful than it has been."

So basicly this whole gen when a dev says something positive about X1 you will say its beause hes being paid off, then any dev who has something negative to say about the X1 and ONLY then of course is he being "more truthful"= "yeah this statement is gospel" lmfao, hmmm thats why his comments even in this very same thread are being cherry picked you got all your bases covered, how convenient for YOU.

btw I'm the guy who said from day 1 after micros X1 reveal and this cloud info started that "I'm not buying this cloud stuff until I see it" -I'll continue to stand by that statement. You on the other hand not surprisingly will CONVENIENTLY pick n choose every positive thing said about X1 as wrong and every negative as "more truthful" yet I'm the one with my head in the sand. lol, why do I even bother, there is nothing "black and white" about your comments you're blind to the fact that everything you say is completely one sided, therefore its useless talking to you....troll on.

Sono4214732d ago

Okay there's something you people are missing.. and that's the fact that not just Microsoft can do cloud computing, Sony can as well with Gaikai. Now even IF cloud computing gave as much of an advantage as you people are trying to say it does (which it obviously doesn't), then Sony could simply do it as well and be that much further ahead of Microsoft, but Sony isn't even mentioning it because they know it can't do much, so there going to put Gaikai to better use.. but anybody still defending the Xbox One by now is just a lost cause anyways so let's just forget about all this and let them learn for themselves that it's bad by them wasting their money on it.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4732d ago
OrangePowerz4733d ago

That's very different from the other things he said.

On a side note regarding cloud. MS is pushing it hard, but Sony has Gaikai who have a lot more experience with cloud gaming. I'm sure Sony will be able to do the same as Microsoft regarding cloud if needed.

nukeitall4733d ago (Edited 4733d ago )

Completely different things. Gakai cloud is fast streaming of video grabs of games running. This is in no shape or form similar to a cloud infastructure to do support gaming especially when that *support* is unclear.

Can Sony do it as well or better is the real question? What sort of impact can we expect from this on games?

HammadTheBeast4733d ago

Actually.

Gaikai can actually run games, all the Azure cloud can do is stream some background things. It's impossible to do something like active graphics, particle effects or physics when the internet is at least a few seconds behind.

MRMagoo1234733d ago

Sony doesnt need some magic cloud anyway the ps4 is more powerful than the xbone and even if the magical cloud did the things MS where pretending it did (which we all know is actually impossible, if you dont know that go read about it) It would still be trying to catch up to the ps4. For the ppl that have no clue about the cloud and think its going to somehow make games run better you will be sadly mistaken read the following article http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

If you find that too hard to read or understand maybe keep your mouth shut, but the basics of it is real time gaming wont be effected by it at all only things that count as static that never change, so all in all nothing will be gained from it.

Realplaya4733d ago

You know it's bad when you try to defend a console but the answer you give is ridiculous.

What is your stance on this and how does it affect your future game development plans for the Xbox One?

Linus Blomberg: I think we need to accept that connectivity is becoming an integral part of our lives. I’m pretty sure people complained about new machinery requiring electricity to function too,

Complained about electricity WTF

GamersRulz4733d ago

I swear MS and their allied Devs are in total shambles and chaos!

C'mon MS, get a grip!

Pintheshadows4733d ago

You know what, I hope they don't get a grip. Why? The Windows 8 picture viewer. Just for that they deserve everything they are getting and more.

ThatCanadianGuy5144733d ago

My interest in their next game is slowly fading with every PR piece this third party guy does for MS.

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80°

Playstation Plus Monthly Games for May: EA Sports FC 26, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Nine Sols

All available May 5.

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blog.playstation.com
FPSRUSSIA25d ago

What's Point in commenting your basicly closing down the site.

LiViNgLeGaCY25d ago

I'm surprised it's still the old site. I thought he said starting today?

Eonjay25d ago

Its like the final episode of the Sapranos. You gonna go to make a comment and when you click add th-

Profchaos25d ago

Timezone thing maybe.... RIP

darthv7225d ago

Insert the Ferris Bueller end scene... "You're still here? It's over.."

LiViNgLeGaCY25d ago

I think the only game here for me is Nine Sols. Was always interested in that game.

TheColbertinator25d ago

Glad I don't buy FIFA games anymore

Rebel_Scum25d ago

Hey now! Thats a great month.

Nacho_Z25d ago

Good month for me, I wanted that particular footy game and thought it might be due. Anyway who cares, shame about the site I'll miss the comment sections. All the best everyone.

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70°

Naughty Dog Was Reportedly Divided On Joel's Controversial Fate During Development Of TLOU Part 2

Naughty Dog was reportedly divided on the controversial fate of Joel in The Last of Us Part 2 during the game's development.

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twistedvoxel.com
SimpleDad26d ago

NO, that can't be... No! I can't... Really?/s

Cacabunga25d ago

They for sure chose the worst way to deal with it

-Foxtrot24d ago

Funny considering Bruce left half way through development and now we get told there was an internal conflict with the story direction.

Makes you think…

HectixRose25d ago

I think it was good decision, if he was still alive, he would have been a mascot just like Kratos, drake and many others. These old dudes gotta die for new characters to take center stage with their own storyline. They keep dragging the emotional baggage into many sequels and eventually the story just turns into absolute shit show.

JEECE25d ago

It was ironic because people complained heavily about the story in the Uncharted games not having sufficient stakes because all the key characters always survived, despite the dangerous situations they were always in. Then ND killed a character in a more serious series and everyone lost their minds. Just shows that people don't always really want the thing they say they want.

CantThinkOfAUsername25d ago

I thought the more common complaint about Uncharted franchise was how the main cast are the good guys acting so nonchalantly while killing hundreds in cold blood (aka the dissonance between gameplay and story cutscenes). They just did it again in Part II.

Soy25d ago

Didn't have to kill him. Just have them part ways or Joel can "retire," whatever.

DarXyde25d ago

I don't think he would necessarily need to become a mascot (and besides, technically, I'd say Ellie is... So regardless, someone was going to be).

From a narrative perspective, I do think it has a similar effect to Ricky dying in Boyz N Da Hood: very likeable character, and you're really motivated to see the get back—in this case, it's more intense because it's an interactive experience. Most people hated Abby, but I get what they were after with portraying the cycle of violence and revenge—unfortunately, the game appears to want to take the side of the bad people.

But I will say that if Joel survived, it does become harder to tell an interesting story. What COULD have happened is an exploration into the rift between Joel and Ellie after the trolley dilemma events of the first game. It could have been interesting to see Abby out for revenge at the same time Ellie hated Joel.

Ashunderfire8625d ago

Sorry just had to say this lol! RICKYYYY!

Man Cuba Gooding Jr was miscast in that movie, but that part was cringey it was sad and funny at the same time man.

Ashunderfire8625d ago (Edited 25d ago )

I understand but the way they went about killing Joel, was poorly executed. Even the show of the Last of Us games tried to improved it, but it was just as bad. Well at least Joel got to know the reason why he had to die, before the death happened in the show. That part gave us the full context, but the game just let it happen with no pay off.

Joel death should have been a midway thing through the story, so we at least get to play him a little more with Ellie. Abby didn’t need to be this Hulk looking woman, but more like the show Abby which is a beater idea in my opinion.

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InUrFoxHole25d ago

The only ND game that was so disappointing to me I couldn't finish it.

pwnmaster300025d ago

Honestly as much as I loved the game, they could have just not killed him off.
I get it creator vision and all but killing a character that made you millions is just wrong imo. At least have him go down fighting.

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60°

Final Fantasy X 25th Anniversary Website Launches With New Nomura Artwork and Merchandise

Square Enix launches Final Fantasy X 25th anniversary site, revealing new Nomura art, books, music releases, and merchandise.

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twistedvoxel.com
-Foxtrot25d ago

Look I know VIII has its issues and all that but how on earth can the do big anniversary events with new artwork and merchandise for VII, IX and X yet VIII got sweet f*** all.

They could have given it something during its 25th anniversary yet all it got was a single Happy Anniversary post on their social media.

solideagle25d ago

they should know that we are OG fans of VIII as it sold truckload as well. not as much as VII or X. I personally didn't like IX but X and VI are my personal fav.

Shadow Hearts 2 covenant is another game I love. I hope one day someone can make remake, I would be delighted

Relientk7725d ago

Final Fantasy VIII is great and you are always the first to defend it in the comments