Microsoft: Cloud quadruples Xbox One power

[smackababy]

See this is where I start to think that they're insane.

Perhaps in a local 10GBe network, where bandwidth and latency are extremely good, this is feasible.

But let's take your example of puffy clouds/etc. How would this 'sync' up and be helpful in any way to the local game engine and GPU output? What content can it stream? If it's just static texture data, maaaybe, but it'll still take time to transfer depending on size. If it's something more complex, well good luck with that. They already struggle to utilize the various CORES, not just on PCs where they can argue that they won't waste time optimizing when most play on Dual-Cores, but on Consoles that have multi-core resources to work with.

This is like taking the hyperthreading section of a processor, moving it off the die, moving it down the street, moving it across the country over the internet, and then saying that it'll somehow be useful.

Don't get me wrong, a powerful server network and good infrastructure (which I firmly believe they WILL have) will make the user experience a good one for those with good connections. I just severely doubt that it will introduce anything that couldn't be done better locally with the right work, and at worst, trying to 'cloud' graphics will screw things up terribly.

I think it will more likely be used to offload some math and physics equations that can free up processor cycles. How it is implemented will be key. Unless you have some crazy rendering farm and you're just streaming the game, I don't think it will have a huge impact, but the implications scale as far as the implementation allows.

 

[smackababy]

Also don't expect to ever be able to play a popular game within 2 weeks of its launch.

I have read of one (1, uno) instance of MS Azure servers going down and it was due to leapyear calculations. I hardly think a bunch of CoD players are going to cripple their network.


However, Lady Gaga releasing her CD for $0.99 on Amazon did crash their transaction servers.

 

[American Gunner]

However, Lady Gaga releasing her CD for $0.99 on Amazon did crash their transaction servers.

This is a sad world we live in if that many people get excited over her (his?) music.

 

[smackababy]

This is a sad world we live in if that many people get excited over her (his?) music.

She has like 45 million Twitter followers, for whatever that is worth.

 

[Midwayman]

I would think that running complex AI would be good use of cloud computing. High end physics/sims too. Anything that would gpu compute could be pushed, leaving the gpu only to render.

 

[American Gunner]

I, like most people on here, have no idea how they actually plan on using the cloud, so I will wait until I see it in action before I pass judgement on what MS is saying. Plus, the Xbox people don't have a running history of making crap up and not following through like sony does, so I will be patient and look forward to seeing what they do with it.

 

[blurredvision]

Is this how similar to how cloud helps power Simcity? We all know how massively successful it was there.

Maxis outright lied that servers were being used for calculations. Until the same is proven about Microsoft, I don't think the pre-emptive comparison is fair.

 

[MichaelBarg]

I have yet to hear a convincing explanation of how this will really improve the gaming experience. That said, I am very open to the idea that it *could*. If it turns out to be a big thing it might well be because it allows new options in game design that take advantage of it. Until now it was never an option, so obviously it was never really pursued. So I guess I think it's a big wait and see. Could turn out to be marketing fluff, but it could also turn out to allow something pretty cool.

 

[TheSlamma]

im so fucking tired of the buzzword "cloud". it's thrown around EVERYwhere now.

Was at a Citrix meetup downtown a few months ago.. all the guys there were sick of it too. Just makes newbs feel like they can participate in the conversation is all.

 

[Nintendesert]

Was at a Citrix meetup downtown a few months ago.. all the guys there were sick of it too. Just makes newbs feel like they can participate in the conversation is all.

I've always hated the term. Some jackass looked at a network diagram and retardation was born.

 

[Tweak155]

I, like most people on here, have no idea how they actually plan on using the cloud, so I will wait until I see it in action before I pass judgement on what MS is saying. Plus, the Xbox people don't have a running history of making crap up and not following through like sony does, so I will be patient and look forward to seeing what they do with it.

So you think it's possible to quadruple the performance?

 

[Bateluer]

I've always hated the term. Some jackass looked at a network diagram and retardation was born.

Pretty much. The 'Cloud' today is mostly about removing control from the end user. Its the wet dream DRM of Big Content fully realized. Nothing more.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Was at a Citrix meetup downtown a few months ago.. all the guys there were sick of it too. Just makes newbs feel like they can participate in the conversation is all.

Might well put "epic" in front of every "cloud" to complete the most overused words circle.

 

[Doppel]

Can we add web 2.0 to that list then also?

 

[colonelciller]

Pretty much. The 'Cloud' today is mostly about removing control from the end user. Its the wet dream DRM of Big Content fully realized. Nothing more.

/thread

+ anyone who is aware how much it costs to build a workstation capable of serious compute understands the absolute absurdity of building compute farm to serve up significant resources to each and every Xbox game instance that would want to make use of the farm.

this is DRM
this is marketing

case closed

 

[z1ggy]

Sounds like they just want a reason to always have an active connection to you. I bet they will really push for everybody to get Kinect too so they can watch us (non neckbeards) have sex in our living rooms. Sick Sick bastards...

 

[gorcorps]

Sounds like they just want a reason to always have an active connection to you. I bet they will really push for everybody to get Kinect too so they can watch us (non neckbeards) have sex in our living rooms. Sick Sick bastards...

What do you mean push to get Kinect? It's packed in the new xbox and required for full functionality. They aren't pushing you to get it... You simply no longer have a choice.

 

[z1ggy]

What do you mean push to get Kinect? It's packed in the new xbox and required for full functionality. They aren't pushing you to get it... You simply no longer have a choice.

Ohhhh I thought it would be some "option" like in ps3 you could get a bigger HD if you wanted for more $$.

Well in that case, they def. want to watch us all bang. I knew it...

 

[Nintendesert]

Ohhhh I thought it would be some "option" like in ps3 you could get a bigger HD if you wanted for more $$.

Well in that case, they def. want to watch us all bang. I knew it...

What's worse about it is something I posted earlier, you're going to be banging your GF/Wife really good on the sofa, smack her ass and have her cry out "Ohhh daddy!" and that POS Kinect is going to think she said "Call Daddy" and Skype call him so he can get a good view of his daughter getting banged while he's watching football with his friends and as he freaks out and waves his hands screaming "What the f***" all that's going to happen is the XBone thinks he wants to maximize the Skype call and gives him and all his friends a full screen view of the money shot. :awe:

 

[z1ggy]

What's worse about it is something I posted earlier, you're going to be banging your GF/Wife really good on the sofa, smack her ass and have her cry out "Ohhh daddy!" and that POS Kinect is going to think she said "Call Daddy" and Skype call him so he can get a good view of his daughter getting banged while he's watching football with his friends and as he freaks out and waves his hands screaming "What the f***" all that's going to happen is the XBone thinks he wants to maximize the Skype call and gives him and all his friends a full screen view of the money shot. :awe:

thaaaaaaaaaat would be epic.

 

[KaOTiK]

What's worse about it is something I posted earlier, you're going to be banging your GF/Wife really good on the sofa, smack her ass and have her cry out "Ohhh daddy!" and that POS Kinect is going to think she said "Call Daddy" and Skype call him so he can get a good view of his daughter getting banged while he's watching football with his friends and as he freaks out and waves his hands screaming "What the f***" all that's going to happen is the XBone thinks he wants to maximize the Skype call and gives him and all his friends a full screen view of the money shot. :awe:

Have you thought of a career as a director of porn?

 

[smackababy]

What's worse about it is something I posted earlier, you're going to be banging your GF/Wife really good on the sofa, smack her ass and have her cry out "Ohhh daddy!" and that POS Kinect is going to think she said "Call Daddy" and Skype call him so he can get a good view of his daughter getting banged while he's watching football with his friends and as he freaks out and waves his hands screaming "What the f***" all that's going to happen is the XBone thinks he wants to maximize the Skype call and gives him and all his friends a full screen view of the money shot. :awe:

Except from what has been displayed, if the Xbox is off you have to say "Xbox on" and then use the skype app. I think your tin foil hat is tighter than your... um grip.

 

[z1ggy]

Except from what has been displayed, if the Xbox is off you have to say "Xbox on" and then use the skype app. I think your tin foil hat is tighter than your... um grip.

So what the next obvious logical step to do here is when it comes out, somebody here bang their g/f on the couch and see if they can make any accidental calls.

OOOrrrrrrr have the kinect recording at all times and record all your sexual escapades to be posted to the internet?

 

[BladeVenom]

similar to the "complicated calculations" EA spoke of for Sim City?

let's call out the 'DRM in disguise' for what it is rather than pretend that complicated calculations are occuring on microsoft servers costing what... hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars... assuming they actually intend to sell as many units as their PR depts have announced and assuming there won't be massive queues to "connect" to your own console before being allowed to play.

I agree. It's just a way to disguise DRM.

 

[Nintendesert]

I agree. It's just a way to disguise DRM.

Yep, I don't think people that are buying into this realize just how expensive servers are and how expensive it is to maintain them. Especially at the amounts and capabilities needed to "offload" any complex calculations for millions of XBone systems out there.

It's a sham to have online DRM that everyone knows is coming with the XBone, they are just dressing it up like EA did. Microsoft is Simcitying their XBone out of the gate.