Another conversation around one of my favorite topics: cloud computing. In my industry (cable and communications), cloud computing is a powerful tool for geographically wide spread companies to improve performance of internal data requests (reporting, transactional info, etc), or improve performance of the viewer experience (loading of channel guide, on-demand movie access, etc). But this week, OnLive announced the release of its software which would power mobile gaming through its cloud servers.
Brilliant.
Why should cloud computing only be available for business operations or functionality that requires you to be stationary (i.e, watching TV at home)?
I am already convinced that the typical desktop computer functionalities will eventually be taken over by mobile devices, but had solely been thinking it would do so from the perspective of "practical" functionalities. To apply cloud computing to mobile devices for entertainment purposes is something I had not anticipated, and solidifies my conviction. By moving the processing requirements to the server side rather than requiring the mobile device to power the game, even outdated mobile devices with sucky processors would be able to have a quicker delay-less experience.
The implications of this to the gaming console manufacturers is also significant. Rather than requiring that a gamer have the latest Xbox or Playstation with the most powerful processors to support the ridiculously high-tech games, all the processing in the future could be handled in the cloud; consoles could become as obsolete as the old school motorola cell phones that were the size of a normal person's head.
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