Microsoft has been involved in cloud gaming for some time now. This is how the company offers the service Xbox Cloud Gaming which allows you to play various Xbox games on devices that can’t actually run those games. But the company clearly wants more with the cloud.
To this end, the company is now setting up a new division that will focus specifically on cloud gaming. This division is headed by Kim Swift, known as designer of the game Portal† The division’s intent is not (just) to improve Cloud Gaming as we know it.
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What does Xbox want with cloud gaming?
The intention is for the new division to work on experiences that are only possible with the cloud. For example, with the cloud it is possible to let parts of a game pass through the cloud processesso that the local hardware is less burdened and thus available for other purposes.
Artificial intelligence can also be improved via the cloud. This can lead to benefits for players, such as more credible NPCs. For developers, it can also be used to, for example, create bots that can test a game on a much larger scale than humans can.
Swift says cloud gaming is still in its infancy. This new division is therefore an investment for the long term. Xbox is supposed to be ready when the technology is good enough to realize their vision.
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