210°

Cloud Gaming: Xbox Live Compute

The next generation is here, and we’ve heard a lot about cloud-based technologies being introduced on the new consoles. One mentioned over the past year is Sony’s Gaikai, which will add backward compatibility to the PS4. It will be able to stream PS3 games digitally to Sony’s new system, and the service is said to be launching in the U.S. in 2014. Another, which is available now to developers, is Microsoft’s cloud computing technology known as Xbox Live Compute. The latter is what we focus on in this feature. With a lot of potential being boasted by Microsoft, we wanted to look into what the service will offer and what concerns or problems have been talked about over the past few months.

Read Full Story >>
pixelvolt.com
neocores4519d ago

OnLive used the cloud and never seen anyone talk about now that both systems are getting it. Its a big deal now -.-

OMGitzThatGuy4519d ago (Edited 4519d ago )

It had game streaming not processing, Xbox One supposedly has the ability to stream certain assets to lighten the load on the local hardware, OnLive or PS4 does no such things.

malokevi4519d ago

XB1 is designed from the ground up for Cloud computing. The ethernet port is connected directly to the main soc... almost everything else is on the southbridge (wi-fi, usb, kinect, hdd, etc..). on a PC the ethernet port is on the southbridge as well.

Consider this. The HDMI out is connected to the main soc. Why? Latency. you want to push the frame out as fast as possible.

Here's a tidbit regarding the move engines that was published a while ago. Notice the frequent use of the term "Off-chip":

"The canonical use for the LZ decoder is decompression (or transcoding) of data loaded from off-chip from, for instance, the hard drive or the network. The canonical use for the LZ encoder is compression of data destined for off-chip."

Something to do with compression, and moving data between RAM regions.

Not gonna pretend I understand most of it. At this point, I'm not sure anyone but MS does. But I wouldn't discount all the technical data. I also wouldn't discount MS' unbelivable investment in the cloud.

http://www.networkworld.com...

"Microsoft Azure was 56% faster than AWS S3 when it came to writing data into its cloud, and 39% faster when reading data. "

" Azure was 25% faster on average compared to AWS S3 when performing a repetitive task every 60 seconds for 30 days. "

What does this all mean to me? Well, I've been obsessing over it for months. My verdict is that MS is going to deliver online, MMO, and persistent worlds unlike anything we have every seen before.

I'm extremely excited by the prospects. Online gaming is my muse, and I love the idea of watching it explode. As a console gamer, after being left out of the MMO world, this is the thing I'm most excited for in the coming generation.

The infrastructure is there. The hardware is there. Now, all we need is some killer software...

Blackdeath_6634519d ago

except that is merely speculation and dreams at this point

JasonKCK4519d ago

Blackdeath_663 no it's not.

P0werVR4519d ago

that's streaming buddy. Easier to implement and as you stated NOT a huge factor into gaming. This is computing, two different things. You confuse the term cloud.

PS4 does NOT have cloud computing, nor is it design into it's architecture. Azure will be a HUGE benefit for first party developers or developers who want to utilize it. Expect some very interesting gameplay this gen.

strickers4519d ago

But Cloud computing pales in power next to local hardware advantage. That's what most people seem to fail to understand. Plus, it can be done on PS4. It's serverside processing.

MorePowerOfGreen4519d ago (Edited 4519d ago )

Agreed!

Streaming games from the cloud is not cloud compute game design.

Xbox One was built from the ground up on the hardware side and software side to be satellite hardware for 300,000 Azure cloud compute servers.

PS4 is no more on par with what MSFT's Platform, than PS eye and the DS4 touch pad is on par with Kinect and the Wii-U tablet.

This was posted on reddit. Seemed interesting(Specs in piece are outdated though) http://www.ign.com/boards/t...

OrangePowerz4519d ago

Azure main design goal is not for games either, it was first developed for all the MS software range of products such as SkyDrive, office 365 and so on.

MysticStrummer4519d ago

There's nothing special about XB1 that allows cloud computing. If MS truly designed their system from the ground up to do something that most potential customers in the biggest gaming market wont be able to take advantage of because of their internet speed, MS really needs to go back to the drawing board and rethink their business practices.

Also, how long will it be before XB fans admit those 300,000 servers aren't just for the XB? All MS's cloud enabled business and personal software will have a bigger presence on those virtual servers than XB1 will.

JasonKCK4519d ago (Edited 4519d ago )

Cloud computing on X1 is really just an extra tool for developers that wish to use it. Not all developers will use it, or even need it. The cloud on X1 and PS4 will really only benefit those who have broadband connection with no data caps. The biggest advantages will be for online games with big worlds like MMO's at the start. People shouldn't confuse "cloud computing" with "cloud streaming" because it's not the same thing.

nasnas764519d ago

Cloud computing has been common practice for most entry to mid-level animation studios (high-level studios typically that they have local render farms). I really can see this being super beneficial.

When I was contracted to do some rendering videos, a typical scene on my 16-core processor PC took a scene took 16 hours to render. Once we paid for online render farms (cloud computing essentially) similar scenes can take 5-30 minutes (pending on how many PCs we bought).

Now for the current gaming industry, real-time rendering probably can't exist anytime soon without a ridiculous internet speed. But it can pre-process data online then store the data locally until ready to be executed when called for. This will leave the local processor to handle different tasks while able to execute complex commands far greater than a local sole-processor can accomplish.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4519d ago
4519d ago Replies(2)
sovietsoldier4519d ago

i think people will enjoy matchmaking and private server usage as a Hugh deal later on. sometimes its the small things that add up to big things and i think that where the cloud will shine.

ATiElite4518d ago

Dat Picture!!!! One Word : Skynet!

or two words: Server Farm

(which ever one makes you happy)

looking forward to XB1 cloud gaming capabilities as this is the ONLY Next Gen feature i really see in ANY so called Next Gen console.

(although some PC Games currently use CLoud Gaming Support i think MS has a bigger vision....hopefully)

130°

Metacritic's 2026 Game Publisher Rankings

Jason Dietz: "We reveal the past year's best and worst video game publishers (based on their 2025 releases) in the 16th edition of our annual Game Publisher Rankings."

Read Full Story >>
metacritic.com
Christopher10d ago

Take note, Sony, you're falling behind by a lot.

-Foxtrot10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

I was just going to say this, their biggest and top rated game here is TLOU2 for PC….it’s embarrassing.

Even Ubisoft and EA are ahead

Kind of surprised Nintendo is pretty low aswell, their biggest game is also a rerelease with the Switch 2 version of TotK.

StoneColdCrazy10d ago

That’s what happens when you start shutting down your own studios and forget what actually made you matter in the industry in the first place. Sony used to set the standard — now it feels like they’ve lost that identity. And if they decide to walk away from the PC market too, that’s going to be another huge mistake — that platform is only growing, and ignoring it now would just put them even further behind.

1Victor10d ago

@christopher:” Take note, Sony, you're falling behind by a lot.”
.
Why single out Sony? Microsoft didn’t do any better than the year before 5th same as Sony 9th and they have acquired activision and other mayor titles that have boosted their score massively from a 9th and Sony a 4th the year before the acquisitions.
Sony does need to do better without a doubt and I do hope they do take note but not the note of buying publishers is the way to succeed.

Christopher10d ago

1. Microsoft didn't get worse.
2. Sony got way worse.
3. Because Sony needs the criticism the most considering their publishing output this generation has been propped up by last gen ports and third-party developers for the most part.

10d ago
thesoftware73010d ago

1Victor,

I don't wanna speak for Christopher, but like most of us we recognize that Sony's output this Gen has been way below their own standards.

Also Sony did buy a fair amount of Devs, I know you will say they were not publishers, and don't compare in size, but they had their fair share of Aquisitions, including the very well established Bungie.

The overall point is with their stellar first party track record of the past, they should not be going down, they are singled out because they are some of the best videogame devs/publisher on the planet...no matter what reasons we attribute to the situation, they are moving in the wrong direction... period.

10d ago
KyRo9d ago

Its widely accept that Sony this generation has been underwhelming. We've had more peripheral releases, controller variants, PS5 accessories than games it feels like. The exclusives were also PS4 and what little output they have put exclusively on PS5 is nowhere near as memorable as what came in every generation before that.

This isn't a Sony hate post but anyone who's older and has been around for a long time gaming will agree that PS5 is by far Sony's worst generation. As much as Xbox is in the gutter, I pray the do bounce back in the hope we get Sony to wake up again.

darthv729d ago (Edited 9d ago )

If you want to critique MS... you are doing so towards their management. The games output and their hardware have been much better than PS this gen. Sadly... people still hold a grudge against XB because of MS. Thankfully i am not that petty... I've been enjoying their games output in the drought of PS. And add in some NS1/2 games as well to balance things out. Things will change for me once Wolverine hits, and I start using my 5 more. That one I'm looking forward to. And the Marvel fighter... I'm not a GTA player so that has no bearing on my view of things.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 9d ago
Profchaos10d ago

Big part of that has been the live service push resulting in cancellation or flop after flop but when they put out the games their fans want we get amazing stuff like astro bot

Leadership really screwed the pooch trend chasing

1Victor10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

https://www.metacritic.com/...

https://www.metacritic.com/...
Well I apologize I was wrong about not doing worse but my statement of Microsoft getting a boost still stand 🤷🏿

10d ago
1Victor10d ago

Well OBSCURED unlike you I’m honorable enough to recognize when I’m wrong and apologize.
.
@ The software you know there’s no comparison between what Microsoft acquired and what Sony acquired that’s why you tried to get ahead of the conversation, yes we all know Sony can do better than what they have done this gen but they inhaled the poison GAS they thought would bring money for years but we make sure they got the message and quite a few games got cancelled you know as well a hit like that take years to be corrected and by now they hopefully will have taken steps away from the GAS and slowed their approach to them.

bsingle409d ago

You will say anything when you are in denial that your hardware is dead and nobody wants your platform. Good luck with Helix because nobody will buy it.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 9d ago
SimulationDaily10d ago

But... but... the garbage-mongers always tell us that Square Enix is in trouble! 😂

Christopher10d ago

Square doesn't help that it fear mongers itself with ridiculous 'goals' that they can't reach and then they proclaim failure if they don't reach it. They're quite freaking profitable and people act like they're dying.

SimulationDaily10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

Keep in mind that these "proclamations" are usually third-hand bad translations from somedude who was at the investor conference, posted on Twitter, and picked up by press and youtubers like they were gold, and then when the official translation comes out, they're much softer statements, but at that point, the damage is done.

gold_drake10d ago

to be very fair

being number one on these things does not indicate how "well" their games do selling wise.

10d ago
10d ago
10d ago
Show all comments (39)
70°

Two more senior Xbox leaders exit Microsoft

Microsoft has lost another two long-serving members of its senior team: corporate VP of partnerships, business development, and marketing, Lori Wright, and general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, Haiyan Zhang. Both announced their departures on LinkedIn.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
Paik14d ago

Who?

Also an AI person leaving is a good thing

SimulationDaily13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

People in this industry move around. People's reaction to this kind of (usually irrelevant) article is always hilarious.

Of course, it's a weekend, so you can't expect the "contributors" at Eurogamer to contribute anything relevant. Finding real gaming news is hard for some 😂

VenomUK13d ago

Xbox influencer Colt Eastwood made a complete fool of himself, again. He posted his assumption that Asha Sharma fired the staff, but when Haitian Zhang politely refuted his claim he deleted his tweet!

https://x.com/jamiesact/sta...

peppeaccardo13d ago

Abandon ship ... Abandon ship ....

darthv7213d ago

Its the ones who were part of the team that decided on taking XB games 3rd party.... no real loss.

fr0sty13d ago

Microsoft's shareholders and CEO made that call, not Xbox.

gold_drake13d ago

they've definitely worked there for too long. their responses are "me me me me" shit.

no sane person talks like that.

1Victor13d ago

You know what the sailors say about sinking ships

13d ago Replies(6)
1Victor12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

@Maximus:” @elda - why bother replying to that delusional clown?”
.
The worse part is the wasted time replying and then getting erased when his account get banned

12d ago
Show all comments (20)
40°

Indie studio Speculative Agency returns Microsoft Xbox funding and urges others to boycott

Indie studio Speculative Agency - which is currently making "a narrative courtroom deck-builder about ordinary people who make the powerful pay for destroying our future", called All Will Rise (quote from Kickstarter) - has made the brave decision to return funding given by Xbox and Microsoft to join the No Games For Genocide boycott.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
StarcrossedBits22d ago

Oh good lord. Could Eurogamer wear their politics more overtly on their sleeve? While I disagree with Speculative Agency's decision the article by Eurogamer is painful. It's not a news article, its a propaganda opinion piece. Consider the language used:
*"Brave decision to return funding" -- A proper article would have said 'made the decision' or 'made the difficult decision'. Saying 'brave' editorializes in a way that isn't appropriate for news article.
*"All Will Rise narrative director Meghna Jayanth - renowned for her work on Inkle's 80 Days and, more recently, the genre-mash-up skateboarding dating game Thirsty Suitors" -- The writer is significantly exaggerating the relevance of this person. They are not renowned. I'm a former game journalist who is obsessed with game development and indie games and I vaguely remember those games as minor blips and nothing of real note. The narrative director is definitely not a well known name (something required to be 'renowned').
*The article provides no critical thought or counterpoint, nothing to to push back the idea that Microsoft is contributing to genocide. In fact the opposite, it accepts the statement as truth and then links to a video to educate their uninformed viewers about the evil of Microsoft. (Of course, Eurogamer has accepted significant funds from Microsoft)

TheGamersDojo22d ago

Yep, I stopped reading relatively quickly when I learned what it was about. They, like many other sites, have gone from one of the greats to unfortunate political propaganda site in recent years.

1nsomniac22d ago

… so no one cares about your opinion either. You’re a no one. What does it matter.

Huey_My_D_Long21d ago

Over 35 States enact laws on restricting BDS to protect Israel, but yeah this one piece is propaganda and needs to do both sides? Because it needs to offer counter points that MS is not contributing to a Genocide? Despite the business dealings they have with Israel like "Microsoft's cloud computing and AI services have been used by the Israeli military to facilitate its operations in Gaza and for mass surveillance of Palestinians"
.
I mean if you dont think there is a Genocide...how about you just say so? Or that MS services are not helping Israel in their efforts. Seems like propaganda already got to you
I see why you are a former journalist

Christopher21d ago

I mean, everything Microsoft (and Sony and Nintendo and Valve) puts out is also propaganda for their company. Are we criticizing every bit of propaganda or just Eurogamer?

I get your point, but it seems to be from an echo room and not as the industry as a whole.

Personally, I'm fine with people having their own opinions. Doesn't change mine.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 21d ago