“We compete with Fortnite (and lose to it) more than HBO.” This statement was made by Netflix during its 4Q18 earnings presentation. I was shocked at the evolution of the gaming world beyond what I imagined.
It seems like yesterday that we used Atari cartridges to clean the dust and play video games. Although this was a placebo effect, it was worth a try. Connections were tangible and physical back then. To play the game, you had to insert the cartridge into the console slot. Then, use a small “switcher”, which shifts the TV`s input from the TV antenna reception to the controller. What are buttons? One was all you needed… It was a completely different era.
Computer technology and gaming have evolved
My first console for video games was the Master System, which Sega made in 1980s. I had the Alex Kidd from Miracle World version that came with my console. It`s likely that this is how I learned Jankenpon, the name of the rock-paper-scissors-game. It took me more than two hours to complete the game. This was back in the days when a storyline with a beginning and middle was all that was needed. That was when I began to get flak for playing too many video games.
Mega Drive, Phantom System and Dynacom are just a few examples of how Super Nintendo–gaming evolved across different consoles and manufacturers. Each game came with its own set of games packaged in physical cartridges. In 1994, Sony`s PlayStation was introduced. It replaced cartridges with digital CDs. In keeping with the advancement of computer technology and video games consoles, the games were extremely realistic and up-to-date. The ASCI Red supercomputer was launched by Intel in 1997 for $46 million. It had a computing power of 1.068 Teraflops, which is roughly a trillion mathematical operations per second, and has a footprint of over 2,500 square feet. The PlayStation 3, however, was released nine years later and sold for $449. It had a maximum of 2.1 Teraflops and could be hidden in any piece of furniture.
The possibilities were endless because of this increase in computer capacity. Gordon Moore was the co-founder of Intel. He famously predicted that the processing power of microprocessors would double every two years, while their cost and size would shrink. The internet changed our lives and made it possible to access information anywhere, anytime in the 2000s.
Be free from constraints
Before, all was limited to physical controllers that were wired to different platforms. Games seized control of the world and broke away from their homes. This opened up engineers` and developers` minds for creating increasingly global platforms and other types of connections.
The reality of games is constantly changing, opening up new possibilities. Some even blend the real and virtual worlds using technologies such as virtual reality (VR), AR and extended reality. Games are no longer considered childish or trivial entertainment. They have become an integral part of our daily lives and have influenced areas such as education and healthcare in ways that few expected.
Market players are becoming more specialized in the gaming industry. They are creating entertainment content, such as Netflix “gamifying” movies with interactive features or introducing VR technology to health clinics to entertain children while they are being vaccinated. However, platforms such as the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live face the challenge of creating a product that offers a unique experience to their users.
Gaming is moving to the cloud
These same players now use cloud and 5G technologies to create new realities like Marvel Strike Force Orbs and summoners war. Microsoft and Sony have joined forces to create XCloud. Stadia, Google’s cloud gaming platform, has just been launched. It promises to deliver 10.1 Teraflops. Google Cloud is the game streaming platform. Similar products are being launched by Apple, Microsoft, EA and many more companies.
This evolution is possible only if the backbone infrastructure is in place. Unstable connections between online games` servers and cloud providers, or network providers, can lead to unacceptable lags for hundreds of gamers at once. This problem can cause financial loss and decrease interest in the plants vs zombies game if it recurs.
This is the best way to avoid this type of problem. Push gaming servers to the digital edge in data centres closer to gamers. Interconnect with companies within the gaming ecosystem. A key role can be played by the gaming industry through a private, secure and ultrafast interconnection between cloud providers, network suppliers, and their partners. Online gaming is no exception.
According to the http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service provider/visual-networking/index-vni/whitepaper-c11-741480.html#_Toc53225680 Cisco Visual Networking Index: “Internet gaming traffic will increase ninefold between 2017 and 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 55 percent. By 2022, Internet gaming traffic worldwide will account for 4 percent of all global IP traffic, up from 1 % in 2017.
Brazil`s games industry is expanding rapidly. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture released a census in late 2018 that showed the sector had grown by almost 30% per year. The country is the 13th largest market for consumer gaming in the world.
Gaming`s future in mind
These new realities will only be possible for the gaming industry if it is able to build and deliver games that can rely on all available computer power, especially when everyone has full connectivity.
Interconnection-oriented architecture has a major impact on the business model in the gaming sector and other sectors that use cloud-based services. Companies used to have data centers located in remote locations. The experience was often poorer if the data center was too far away from the consumer. This model has been rewritten by cloud computing. Globally, the top companies have extensive IT infrastructure.
We can see the importance of user experience in gaming. This segment has long recognized the importance of providing the best market services for their clients. That means they have to implement the most effective models. Major corporations in the gaming sector have been investing more in interconnection to increase their competitiveness and global reach.