[白話文系列] Cloud game that flourishes and rises

(Cover image source: www.freebrowsinglink.com)

 

2020 is the first year of 5G in Taiwan. Telecom operators have introduced 5G tariffs. The faster network speeds brought about by 5G have gradually activated the cloud gaming market. This article will explain the basic concepts of cloud games, and introduce the current mainstream cloud game services and their characteristics.

 

What is cloud gaming?


(Source: store.google.com)


From arcade games to mobile games, when people want to play games, they need a host to run the game. All the screens presented by the game need to be calculated by the host. For example, PS5, Switch, XBox, personal computers, mobile phones, etc. are all running games. Host. The cloud game is the concept of placing the host in the cloud. The machine next to the player only needs to output the screen and send the game command to the cloud. Other operations that require advanced equipment are all handled by the cloud game manufacturer. The powerful host runs the game for you, and then presents the processed images to you, so that players are not limited to the host, and ordinary devices can play super gorgeous 3A masterpieces.

 

Advantages of cloud games:

1. Save equipment costs


(Source: einstenpc.com)


As mentioned in the previous paragraph, cloud games can reduce the equipment required to play games, which means that players do not need to buy expensive equipment (advanced computer equipment, game consoles), and can play with cheap equipment.

2. Can play on multiple devices


(Source: www.androidauthority.com)


Because the game data and computing are in the cloud, players do not need to guard one device to play. As long as there is an Internet connection, players can enter the game with different devices, and they can play a single-player game anytime, anywhere. Players can also seamlessly continue to break the record of the previous game.

3. Save capacity


(Source: www.windowsbasics.com)


The main calculations and data of cloud games are stored in the host of the cloud game manufacturer. The player’s device only needs the simple functions of playing screens and transmitting commands. Therefore, for those 3A masterpieces that can break hundreds of GBs, they will no longer need huge ones. Hard disk space, the capacity problem that has been a headache for many players for many years will be solved.

4. Prevent plug-in


(Source: www.ubisoft.com)


Nowadays, many plug-ins invade the game through the user side. Because online games are calculated by the computer of the user side and then transmitted to the game official server, the plug-ins mostly use the data of the client side to achieve the cheating effect. As for cloud games, almost all data and calculations are done on the server, so the number of plug-in cloud games will likely be greatly reduced. This is a great boon for players who have been abused by plug-ins for a long time.

 

Disadvantages of cloud gaming:

1. Network delay


(Source: www.evaluationengineering.com)


For cloud gaming to provide consumers with a good gaming experience, the network delay must be controlled within a few milliseconds. This is also the biggest obstacle to cloud gaming at present. It is currently predicted that cloud gaming can only be realized after the 5G network is gradually improved. The problem of network latency is almost the only and biggest challenge of cloud gaming. I must honestly say that unless you already have ultra-fast Internet speeds, you must use cloud gaming services. I suggest that players can wait and let the manufacturers solve the latency problem first. It's not too late to make plans.

2. Cannot play offline


(Source: forums.funcom.com)


As all game operations of cloud games are handled by the cloud computing center, the client device only does the work of playing screens and transmitting instructions, so the game cannot be executed when the network is disconnected. For blind spots on the Internet or need to be sent on an airplane For time players, this will be a big disadvantage.

3. Environmental issues


(Source: www.sarahbeekmans.com)


Some studies have shown that cloud games in general consume more energy than traditional games. The reason for the energy consumption lies in the distance of message transmission and the efficiency of the computing center. We must rely on the company’s control. Fortunately, the major technology giants are already working on this problem. For example, Sony expects to reduce its product life cycle carbon emissions to zero by 2050, and Google expects to use carbon-free by 2030. energy.

 

Conclusion:

Cloud games may be the trend of future games. Games will be like video streaming services, and games will become a subscription system. As long as you subscribe to cloud games, you can play all kinds of games anytime and anywhere, just like Netflix. The big technology giants are already eager to try. Next, let's see who has the upper hand in this battle. For the introduction of the current major cloud games, please refer to (this article).