| Dedicated gaming consoles and actual physical | | | | games are stored and actually processed. While |
| media are dying out, to be replaced by online | | | | lag is a common cause for concern, developers |
| delivery of games, and gaming platforms mixed in | | | | claim to have reduced lag to less than one |
| with other multimedia devices. Online games will | | | | millisecond. |
| be stored in "The Cloud" and delivered through | | | | Here is a diagram of how Cloud Gaming is likely to |
| the internet. | | | | work: |
| The Cloud is already important to a lot of people. | | | | Console Gaming |
| Accessing email online via a browsed and using | | | | Gamer > Controller > Console > TV |
| Google Docs for example involves accessing | | | | Cloud Gaming |
| documents that are stored in the cloud. It's where | | | | Gamer > Controller > 3rd Party Box / PC |
| the files that are viewed, edited and saved online | | | | > Internet > 3rd Party Servers > |
| are stored and means they can be accessed | | | | Internet > 3rd Party Box > PC |
| anywhere in the world and do not fill up hard | | | | For the household gamer this will mean several big |
| drives on personal computers. | | | | changes. With all software and processing |
| Within the gaming industry itself, the cloud and | | | | hardware stored remotely and used online there |
| cloud gaming could cause the biggest change to | | | | will be no software, disks or consoles to purchase |
| gaming since the first gaming consoles were | | | | which means high street gaming brands will face |
| released in the 1970's. All games will be played | | | | brand new challenges to stay in business. The |
| online and the software and files themselves will | | | | gamer will have access to a greater quantity and |
| be stored on hubs of servers across the country. | | | | variety of games online in return for a monthly or |
| The "Cloud Gaming" generation won't own actual | | | | annual subscription, which will also give smaller |
| physical media such as video game disks, and | | | | independent games developers the chance to sell |
| they won't store them on a hard drive. Instead | | | | more games to a greater base of people. |
| they'll connect to central servers, on which the | | | | |