Using 'the cloud’ as a method of storing and accessing data files has become fairly commonplace within the corporate sector, as businesses recognize that it offers a speedy, efficient and secure means of storing and accessing documents, but at the moment it has still not penetrated the gaming sector to anything like the same extent.
This could be set to change, as Sony recently purchased Gakai – one of the cloud gaming services – for a fairly hefty $380 million, which suggests that they see this as a big part of the future of gaming. So what does it actually have to offer those interested in gaming? Well one major advantage it offers is the chance to access the latest games on your mobile device – whether it is a tablet or a phone – without the need for downloads or upgrades to your hardware.
This will make the experience of gaming both cheaper and potentially more mobile – the latter because it could render hardware such as consoles effectively obsolete. When it comes to those games which are already targeted directly at users of mobile devices, such as the casino games available at mobile casino sites like the Ladbrokes one you can play here, the benefits might seem less obvious; but the lack of need for downloads will likely make these games more popular for a lot of users who don’t want to keep downloading endless apps to their devices.
There are potential downsides to cloud gaming though, particularly when it comes to issues of bandwidth and the quality and reliability of the internet service the user receives. These issues are less likely to affect those in central, urban locations, because they will have a greater number of options when it comes to internet service providers - but for those in more out-of-the-way areas, it could have a genuinely detrimental effect on the gaming experience.