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Earlier this week, rumors began to circulate that the next game console from Microsoft – currently referred to as "Project Scarlett". – would bring big changes to the holder of the platform. no secret that Microsoft is working on a new Xbox – after all, the company confirmed at its E3 2018 conference that development is underway on a replacement machine. However, the rumor of Project Scarlett suggests that rather than its proven business model of releasing a high-powered console to sit under your TV, the potential successor of the Xbox One will rather be a tailor-made unit for broadcast games from the cloud. 19659004] At least, in a format that will be. The dominant rumor, spotted by Thurrott, is that Microsoft will release both a traditional console for high-end enthusiasts – likely on the mighty Xbox One X, released in 2017 – as well as a cheaper model that will be in streaming only. 19659003] But what would it take to succeed a streaming console only, even if it was only an option for consumers?
At a glance, Microsoft's strategy may seem risky. Previous attempts to launch a streaming or digital game console have failed quite consistently, whether it was Ouya backed by Kickstarter, which disappeared almost without a trace before being redeemed by Razer and quickly abandoned, or OnLive strongly backed by Warner Bros. and launched with a hail of advertising in 2010 (2011 in the UK), but closed by 2015. There is also the chance that the material variant threat a split in the base of potential users of Microsoft from the first day of a new generation of console. 19659003] However, none of these options is as dangerous as you think. First, Microsoft's decision – if a streaming box is indeed on the cards – can not be as imprudent as it appears immediately. The company has probably evolved slowly to streaming for a number of years, changing the expectations and behaviors of players along the way. Its biggest push so far is the subscription Xbox Game Pass service, launched last year and expanded in January 2018 to include all of the first-party Xbox titles at launch, as well as their physical release.
Although Game Pass titles are downloaded local console, it could show Microsoft is developing a server structure to support streaming games to players in the future. The Xbox Game Pass payment model would also be easily transferable to a hypothetical "Xbox Cloud" subscription for the owners of the proposed streaming box.
Xbox Game Pass is also potentially building a player base removed from the classic model of buying games one by one, whether physical or digital purchases. Microsoft has not yet unveiled the official subscriber numbers, but at E3 2018, Phil Spencer, head of Xbox at Microsoft, told WIRED: "We are seeing an incredible adoption of this. service". With a new console that should be at least 17 months later – and even then, a release of Holiday 2019 would be even earlier than expected – it's almost three years to cultivate an audience for whom a powerful console would also seem out-of-date for them that streaming seems too basic for traditionalists.
At E3, Spencer also hinted at streaming plans being developed for Microsoft's future. Asked about moving the Xbox platform to a games model as a service, he replied, "I think you're moving the chess pieces a few moves forward, but I do not think that's going to happen. 39 is a stretch. " [We’re talking] About the technology of taking console quality games and transferring them to any device, when you add Xbox Game Pass, you start talking about business model, adds Mr. Spencer. "Streaming a $ 60 game that someone bought at a phone, I do not know if it's a scenario that a lot of people will love, how can we make sure everyone can play to these console quality games on everything "
The biggest challenge that Microsoft would face in providing a streaming console would be to reduce latency – the time between the entry of a player on a controller and the response in the game, factoring in constant communication with the cloud.Some reports indicate that Microsoft is already preparing its backend to fix it, with plans for new data centers and blade servers consisting of four Xbox "custom". scale, this would provide – theoretically – the processing power needed to provide gaming experiences without lag to thousands of simultaneous players.
Any streaming box could also embed some features to further reduce the offset. A decently powerful local processor, coupled with just enough RAM and storage, could help handle the most immediate aspects of the game, such as collision detection and texture loading. It could also facilitate a point halfway between streaming and downloading. Microsoft is already doing this technically – if you install a digitally purchased game on Xbox One now, most titles will allow you to play once a certain amount of data is loaded, the rest continuing in the background. This could be changed for streaming, where crucial game resources might sit in the background while you play, lightening the server load and allowing data centers to focus on player interactions.
or the industry at large. In fact, there are already interesting test cases that have laid the foundation for a cloud-based future.
Sony, Sony's rival, has been experimenting with the game since 2015 thanks to its PlayStation Now service. Classic and contemporary PlayStation titles in both PS4 and PC. Sony has also quietly engulfed streaming companies for years, buying OnLive's patents when that company rolled back and, in 2012, acquiring Gaikai, a nascent streaming provider, incorporating its technology into what became PlayStation Now. is in the process of streaming with the Japanese version of Resident Evil 7 – known as Biohazard 7 – only available as a cloud game. To play Biohazard 7 on Switch, users download a free small 42MB application from the Japanese eShop. Players then allow access to the game for ¥ 2000 yen (~ £ 13.75), which lasts 180 days. Nothing is ever installed at the console beyond this basic application, with the full game provided as a streaming service.
The model also highlights a potential benefit of streaming consoles on physical units defined in the user's home. Given Resident Evil 7 was originally released on PS4, it is not surprising that it pushes the Switch to its limits, so for the developer / publisher Capcom to let his servers do the big job, then broadcast the result to the switch is rather canny. A similar approach for Microsoft – or Sony – would allow them to upgrade behind-the-scenes hardware, offering more and more impressive experiences without having to worry about tailoring the output to specific hardware specifications.
Of course, there are disadvantages. diffusion. It requires a permanent high-speed Internet connection, which would be difficult to guarantee and could exclude players in rural areas. The lesser downtime would also mean that your entire game collection would be unplayable. Streaming also challenges the notion of ownership and buying behavior in general – people like their physical media collections (just look at the resurgence of vinyl as a format).
Yet, perhaps, the genius of Microsoft and home console. Those who prefer a physical collection, lack sufficient internet speeds or just want to have the right to boast of having an incredibly powerful console can get the latter, while more casual or progressive – depending on how you see it – players can opt for a constantly changing backend. With Sony and Nintendo studying streaming, it could also be that Microsoft does not bet its future on clouds.
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