Microsoft: Streaming Devices Not a threat to Xbox
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Microsoft, Streaming, Xbox, Games, OnLive | Themes: The Internet, Software
During the London Games Conference, Xbox Live Europe general manager Jerry Johnson told a packed audience that streaming machines won't be mass-market for the foreseeable future. In fact, he dismissed the possibility that OnLive and Gaikai will damage its Xbox 360 business, according to MCV.
“I think streaming technology is something that [the industry] is betting on longer term,” he said. “Right now I don’t believe that technology can scale out against the experience we can offer on a local machine." He also said that the current broadband infrastructure--as well as the current market--will not support the streaming services.
But he did recognize that the technology will continue to improve, and that the industry--namely the console manufacturers and publishers--will have to accept the change and move on with it. "But I don’t think it’s on an accelerated timeline for the foreseeable future," he added.
OnLive and other games on demand services could eventually pose a threat to Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Gamers can simply plug in the streaming "microconsole" to a TV and instantly play games such as F.E.A.R. 2, Crysis Warhead, Lego Batman, and more. OnLive doesn't launch until Winter 2009.
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FiOS is a minimum requirement.
Streaming is a great idea....until your ISP disconnects you for exceeding your monthly cap.
Well, who the hell cares, by then people will be getting it. You make it sound like no one has it, or wont.
Streaming is a great idea....until your ISP disconnects you for exceeding your monthly cap.
LOL, good point! That is great comment!
Streaming is a great idea....until your ISP disconnects you for exceeding your monthly cap.
Exactly, monthly caps will be the norm so these companies can get huge profits. They will blame us for being bandwidth hogs and act as if their crap does not stink.
I like onlive. It's a great idea for the people that have access to fast internet. I definitly like the idea of playing any game on a netbook. Plus my college has blazing fast internet so i can play on my netbook any day. Streaming isa great idea and it will be revolutionary in the gaming business. The only thing i dont like is that if this happens, we may see the end if the EPIC ATI/NVIDIA battles.
I like onlive. It's a great idea for the people that have access to fast internet. I definitly like the idea of playing any game on a netbook. Plus my college has blazing fast internet so i can play on my netbook any day. Streaming isa great idea and it will be revolutionary in the gaming business. The only thing i dont like is that if this happens, we may see the end if the EPIC ATI/NVIDIA battles.
Ya my college has blazing internet too. But how long do you expect to be in college?
I think it will be a while before this Onlive stuff becomes practical.
Eh... not a fan of digital anything. I like having physical copies of things. That's why I never buy games on Steam (and also because I hate how Steam installs and manages games).
Eh... not a fan of digital anything. I like having physical copies of things. That's why I never buy games on Steam (and also because I hate how Steam installs and manages games).
Not a big fan of digital anything? So, i'm assuming you play with dominos and the ball-in-a-cup?
I'm definately gonna try this out, but i'm more interested in the community features and how well it streams on its minimum required bandwith. Mostly I wan't it to work because i'm getting married in a few months and I won't be able to upgrade my comp all the time. If i can have a good gaming experience with a keyboard and mouse with an onlive console then I am on board for sure. But my hopes aren't very high so i don't get let down lol
My only fear is the whole "cap-limit" that these streaming machines will have... I mean, cmon, these machines are gonna have to be EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY powerful to process gaming like this!!!! Imagine 30,000 people trying to play Crysis at the same time? What!?
... Playing on a netbook? My netbook can struggle with Flash, whether it's streaming video or not, I don't think performance on a Netbook will be 100%.
We shall see.
My only fear is the whole "cap-limit" that these streaming machines will have... I mean, cmon, these machines are gonna have to be EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY powerful to process gaming like this!!!! Imagine 30,000 people trying to play Crysis at the same time? What!?
*watches as powergrid crashes*
As for me i mainly use the xbox 360 for game and steaming from netflix now but the problem with that is with the 360 i have to pay for a gold membership witch raises the price of netflix for me by 50 Bux a year now that i can use my PS3 to do the same thing hopefully conveniently i dont have to re up with M$ im down with not give M$ more of my money
Seeing all the complaints about minor latencies on some LCD monitors I don't see something like playing a game remotely working too well.
As for me i mainly use the xbox 360 for game and steaming from netflix now but the problem with that is with the 360 i have to pay for a gold membership witch raises the price of netflix for me by 50 Bux a year now that i can use my PS3 to do the same thing hopefully conveniently i dont have to re up with M$ im down with not give M$ more of my money
Ummm, the price of Xbox LIVE acts as a regulator, keeping the number of users down to a point where most things work OK. *Maybe* 75% of the people who buy a 360. It probably requires hardware upgrades on a regular basis to maintain 'OK' but not at the pace it might.
Sony's system has no price-based regulator, and so its use will likely grow a LOT faster. I'd hate to say 100% of PS3 users will jump on, since having a TV is not as hard as having Internet access, but it should be close to 100%. Sony will have to maintain AND upgrade their servers with only the income from game royalties and console sales. *I* think this will eventually lead to users paying for it just like LIVE, but Sony could tough it out for years before admitting this, and I just hope the TRUE fanboys are ready to defend them when it happens...
Not a big fan of digital anything? So, i'm assuming you play with dominos and the ball-in-a-cup?
lmao. Ball in a cup. Hey, kids of America, it's hand-painted, wooden Ball in a Cup! Who needs constant electronic video stimulation when there's Ball in a Cup, Mexico's favorite toy for over 340 years! Toss the ball, catch it in the cup, dump it out of the cup, toss it, and catch it in the cup again. The ball is on a string and attached to the cup, so there's no worry if you don't catch the ball in the cup, and clean-up is as easy as catching a ball in a cup! So why spend another day not catching a ball in a cup when you could be catching a ball in a cup?
^lol Family Guy?
The idea of streaming games (i.e. processing done remotely) is a great idea, but anyone who thinks that Sony and MSoft are going to watch as OnLive dominates is sadly mistaken. In a few years when high speed broadband is more widely available, the technology to stream will not be the limiting factor. Rather it will be a question of who gets the rights to stream the newest games. My guess is that Sony and MSoft will use their vast resources to bury OnLive and Gaikai. All they have to do is wait and let OnLive and Gaikai expend their money to build the customer base.
I like Steam. Apparently, people didn't remember the good o'days of finding patch updates for CS 1.6 or inserting a CD to play games.
Oh, the good old days. Which update do I download? The patch for the upgraded version or the patch for the retail version? Or the full patch for the retail that may work for the upgraded version? How about the patch for the upgraded version of CS that didn't have the up-to-date patches? Even more annoying was when you loaded the darn thing after waiting in line for ages (yes, you had to be queued) only to find that you had the wrong patch.
^lol Family Guy?
Yep Family Guy. I laughed so hard when i watched it. Clean up is as easy as catching a ball in a cup.