CLOUD BASED GAMING: is it really the future?

Cloud based gaming allows you to stream video games directly from the internet. Sounds great on paper but it begs the question: "Can it replace old school physical and digital copies?"

Cloud based gaming streams video games in two ways: streaming a video of the game which you can control normally or streaming the game files directly. You need extremely fast internet connections to stream games at 1080p and 60 fps which pretty much cuts us, Bangladeshi gamers, off from availing the service given the dismal state of our internet speeds. On top of that, you have to take in to account the delay in inputs or ping.

OnLive, a video game streaming service, launched on June 2010 with the promise of revolutionizing the way games are distributed to the consumers. Fast forward 5 years later, OnLive has ceased to exist; its assets bought up by Sony and its former customers disgruntled by the fact that their games library is, effectively, gone.  

Such is the longevity of internet based services. There is no guarantee that they will stand the test of time. Imagine one day waking up to find your favourite gaming company has gone bankrupt and thus you cannot play your video games despite having physical copies. All that money spent on purchasing the copies will be for naught. The problem is aggravated further in cloud gaming as you would've had to pay a hefty monthly subscription fee, alongside the full price, to access your games.

Obviously, video game publishers absolutely love the idea. For one, it removes the supposed "problem" of used games; gamers won't be able to share their libraries which in turn will force them to buy subscriptions for themselves. Then there is the obvious increase in revenue from the monthly subscription fees. 

But is cloud gaming really all that bad? Not exactly. For one, games can be played on almost any OS and any device that is chained to a computer or a console. This makes the service free of the constraints of platforms. You would not need to purchase high end hardware to enjoy the latest AAA titles as the games are streamed from servers linked to powerful PCs. TV manufacturers might even start including cloud based gaming apps so that you can play your games without buying a dedicated machine. 

Unfortunately for us gamers, the industry is becoming heavily profit driven with publishers nowadays cutting games into portions which you would have to buy besides the main game. While the idea of cloud based gaming is intriguing, it is hard not to worry about how publishers will taint it with excessive DRM and hefty costs. The power of ownership is severely limited when you buy a subscription to a cloud based gaming service. Not only does the streaming company have full control over your right to play a game but they also control your right to sharing it with your friends. Thus I, for one, am extremely sceptical of this phenomenon and sincerely hope that physical and digital copies endure. 

Shahrukh Ikhtear is a gamer who doesn't rage. A writer who doesn't read. A musician without a teacher. Full time procrastinator. You can reach him on twitter @sr_ikhtear and email: shahrukh.ikhtear@yahoo.com