Xbox One Can Cloud Improve Graphics?

[dyzposableherox]

At today's Eurogamer Expo, Microsoft's Corporate VP Phil Harrison stated that:

It’s also about cloud processing and AI. This is where some of the computational effort of a game can be offloaded to the dedicated CPUs on the cloud, to make your game experience even better, better graphics, better lighting, better physics.
This is an example of where we think the the cloud is going to push the next generation of game development in new and creative ways, that will make the experience even more better.

I'm not really a tech person but is this possible? It's pretty much the exact opposite of what Mark Cerny,the lead architect for the PS4 said about trying to improve graphics by using the cloud. He said that it just wouldn't work well.What do you guys think?

Via DualShockers

 

[SiNAR 212]

In a way it could. I think they could utilize it to make more A.I. Or in a way make the game world more alive. I mean I dont think it would VISUALLY make it better but the exp. would be better.

 

[Kerosene31]

I don't think it is practical to directly use the cloud to improve graphics (any latency would be a show stopper). However, I'd think it would be possible to offload other functions to the cloud, freeing up more local resources and indirectly improving graphics.

Unfortunately, the console and games have to run in offline mode (thanks to all the people who weren't going to buy one anyway who complained about being online). So, that's going to limit who is going to take advantage of the cloud. People will complain if the game runs poorly when offline.

The cloud is a great concept, and at least it will greatly benefit online games with dedicated servers. Unfortunately I think the limitations of our internet connections and the offline requirement will hold it back.

 

[v00doo1]

The cloud will free up processing power by up to 20% by taking care of AI leaving more power to making the graphics better but the cloud will not directly make the graphics better.

 

[Esperahol]

Two things:

1.) Who slacked off on the Powerpoint Presentation?
2.) Considering the apparently sizable group of offline/partially online players running about - how exactly is Cloud going to function? Is it going to be something that will significantly improve the gameplay if someone enables it, but won't necessarily make the game unplayable if it's disable? Or... yeah the first thing. Hmm... sucks for dev teams.

 

[Kerosene31]

2.) Considering the apparently sizable group of offline/partially online players running about - how exactly is Cloud going to function?

There's not a sizable group of offline players. This is the myth perpetuated by Xbox haters.

Ask every single person you know and see how many people are without internet access in 2013 for more than 24 hours. There are a few extreme examples. Troops deployed in warzones, people camping way out in the sticks, etc.

"Offline" gaming is largely a myth. What people had a problem with is DRM, not actual online connectivity. Our consoles are going to be less powerful because of a few people who claim to not access the internet (if they didn't have access, how did they go online to complain???)

Sorry, this whole thing just bugs me. People made an uneducated decision and it ends up hurting us all.

 

[BlackSolaris]

There's not a sizable group of offline players. This is the myth perpetuated by Xbox haters.

Ask every single person you know and see how many people are without internet access in 2013 for more than 24 hours. There are a few extreme examples. Troops deployed in warzones, people camping way out in the sticks, etc.

"Offline" gaming is largely a myth. What people had a problem with is DRM, not actual online connectivity. Our consoles are going to be less powerful because of a few people who claim to not access the internet (if they didn't have access, how did they go online to complain???)

Sorry, this whole thing just bugs me. People made an uneducated decision and it ends up hurting us all.

I had a friend that played PS3 for two months without internet because he refused to pay after some trouble with the company.

Also, about the whole "space for AI processing" thing, if i suddenly drop my connection, would the NPCs start acting retarded?

 

[Kerosene31]

I had a friend that played PS3 for two months without internet because he refused to pay after some trouble with the company.

Also, about the whole "space for AI processing" thing, if i suddenly drop my connection, would the NPCs start acting retarded?

Everyone focuses on the odd times when things wouldn't be ideal that they are ignoring the features that we now lose.

The funny thing is you're worried about the occasional disconnect hurting your game, so you choose to downgrade the console 100% of the time?

Sure, games would have to be designed to not completely break when going offline. I don't think that would have been a huge issue.