GDC Online: Next Gen Consoles Would Be ‘Insane’ Not To Include Cloud Computing

Cloud gaming's been all the rage of late, with companies like Onlive and Gaikai surfacing and making it possible for players to play games that are hosted and streamed remotely. In effect, it means that players don't have to continually update hardware to play the latest and greatest games–which, if ever popularized, could be absolutely huge.

David Perry, CEO of Gaikai, recently spoke at a panel in GDC Online in Austin, TX, and made comments regarding the future of consoles and cloud gaming. According to him, the next generation of consoles will all have some sort of cloud gaming element to them. "They would be insane not to. You don't want to be a console that doesn’t."

At the heart of these services are accessibility, and current developments in the industry have shown us that this is an issue that is at the forefront of everyone's mind. Cloud gaming represents a way to facilitate that accessibility for Perry. Currently, "Games are incredibly high friction… We keep putting barriers in front of people," whereas cloud gaming would be–assuming a correct implementation–completely invisible players. "What would it take to make video games as accessible as movies or music?… We'll never get there if we don't make [games] accessible."

I think we can all agree on that sentiment, right?