Get ready to never stop playing a videogame. I mean you pause it on one device, pick up another and play the exact same game at the exact same place where you left off. Sure, Microsoft has been talking about this forever, but it actually seems like they've got it working now. As demonstrated by Microsoft's Eric Rudder at TechEd Middle East in Dubai the company is bringing their platforms together in a big way. You can see him do it in the above video.
Rudder starts to play a pretty basic looking platformer on his PC and beats the first level. He then jumps onto his Windows 7 phone and picks up where he left off, playing the game on that. He then turns to his Xbox 360 and starts to play on that exactly where he left off on his phone. Yea, it's a little daunting to even think about. While this obviously wouldn't work so well for every game (especially the phone part) the ease with which it can be done -- as Rudder demonstrates in the video -- is surprising.
Who is up for never having to pause a game ever again?
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
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Interesting. But that means you have to get it online. Even offline-single-player games. Ugh.
Of course, it could be a PAN setup, but then again what's the point of playing it across several platforms if you could just walk over to the other side of the room to get back to it?
I've seen that demo before with the platformer starter kit for the xna sdk tutorials. That sample program also runs on the zune hd, so maybe the zune HD will be the gaming equivalent of the touch after 7 series phones are released
I am a ps3 fanboy (not really...but for the sake of this) but if this is successful and a feature only for microsoft devices; i may buy the console. Only so i can jump between my laptop and console.
can't help but feel that without any proper physical controls in the WP7S minimum spec this kind of thing isn't going to work out too well across all three platforms.
I still don't see how I could/would use this. My gaming setup is well-suited for gaming. My PC isn't a good gaming PC, and my phone is laughable for games
Sounds like it running off of the new cloud network, I suppose I should be impressed but I'm not really. I think these kinds of things will become standard with all systems (not technically going from platform to platform).
However people thinking this is going to ACTUALLY be used for your Xbox360/PC/PDA your sadly mistaken it's just a demonstration of what CAN be achieved, and if it is done it's most likely going to be small scale games.
Mostly this kind of thing will be running for PS3/Xbox360 only as a means of saving an EXACT spot and returning to it, either from another console or the one you just left, which is similar to what is done with ROMs (save state feature). On PS3 this WILL be a premium feature, however I'm not sure of MS doing it for multi-platforming.
Beyond console, though if you think of the BROADER world, if you could save state something your working on whether a project or whatever, flip it over to someone in another part of the world, they work on what they think or change up the design of what your working on, approve it, flip it back to you where they left off and you can complete the project and have it on the ground in weeks.
It's pretty nice, it will speed up production of all kinds of things by months.
When did PS3 fanboy trolls become such an epidemic here? Does this have something to do with Jim not liking Heavy Rain or something? It's like I can't find one bit of news without somebody shitting on anything non-Sony.
the only thing that is left to wonder, will you have to buy the same game 3 different times? If MS lets you buy one game and be able to use it over multiple platforms that would be really awesome.
The funny thing is XBLA arcade games are more critically acclaimed than PSN games. Take that fanboy shit somewhere else, you embarrass PS3 owners, idiot.
My opinions have been voiced already, mainly how everything's gonna interact together (in terms of hardware specs) and of course, if you'd have to rebuy the games you already have just so you could play them on another system. It would be kinda nice, as one reason some people shy away from console gaming and prefer handhelds are not only the portability, but you don't have to drop everything you're doing when you have to go somewhere. Sure, you can leave the console running while you're away, but not everyone does that, and sometimes you have to leave and there's no save point for a while and...yeah.
Dude, three fanboys do not make an epidemic. If people didn't feed them so much you'd barely notice their existence. In fact, you have more people bitching about fanboys than the fanboys themselves. Ignore them, there's better things to be doing.
Anyway, yeah it's pretty cool but I imagine I will never use it. I seldom listen to my minidisk player anymore when I'm out and about. I'm sick of "passing the time" between being busy here and being busy there. There's a lot of interesting things in the real world - you just gotta soak it up!
1.) This system already works for the XNA Framework. I personally have written a game that runs on my Zune and on my PC. The point of the technology is that almost all of the code is shared (in my game the only difference is in handling the input).
2.)Nothing in this video mentions how they are porting your progress from one platform to the next. XNA provides easy networking capabilities and they may have written a simple server backend to facilitate this demonstration. Until they announce specific technologies they have developed for game creators to use, assume that this kind of cross platform persistence is not something you will see in every game.
3.)Of course it will take a very special game to make this kind of cross platform gaming appealing to a customer. The point here is that it is possible and easy to do for developers.
Take Away Message: This tech demo was meant for developers, so stop worrying about the games that will inevitably cater to the weakest link (the phone), or how much Microsoft will charge for this. Keep this in mind any game available on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel can be played on a Windows PC (with almost zero modification). In essence this world already exists Microsoft just hasn't marketed it to gamers yet.
I've been thinking about how they're lagging behind in the console war, but if they manage to announce it at E3 and have it ready for mass distribution by the end of the year, they have a big chance of jumping back into the competition.
I just hope it doesn't suffer from hardware/software failure.
I dont see how everyone thinks this is rubbish. If they implement this correctly it could be fantastic, even if they do it just for the 360 and PC. Would love to buy a game then choose if I feel like sitting on the couch or in front of my PC to play it.
Could have good potential if any of the mainstream games do it. But if they did no doubt theyd want 2-3 times the price.
Re being charged 3 times for a game: this is just a natural extension of the Game Room idea, where 1 price buys one version, a higher price allows play across mutliple platforms.
I guess this could work for cetain game types, and as phones get more powerful, possibly that opens up more options there. Alternatively, facets of a game could be played from the phone, like pub games in Fable III or something. Minigames and the like.
I've been having trouble deciding on a new phone ever since my SE W800i, so maybe a phone capable of this interaction is what I'm waiting for.
sorry but i dont need to play games so bad that once i leave my pc i run to my console to play again(because they ARE in the same room) and then if i have to go out i grab my portable gaming system and start playing as i walk out the door. who needs to play games that badly? cant it wait till you get home?
I used to play Secret of Monkey Island using SCUMMVM on PC and on PSP; just had to send the save game over the cable and could continue playing it when out on a train journey.
I highly doubt that you will see AAA titles that do this. I have to emphasize again that this is meant for little developers. The technology is built on Microsoft's .NET framework and the games are written in C# (essentially Microsoft's version of Java). Any big name developer would write their own tools and most likely do it in C++. Again this isn't anything new and it is meant for little developers.
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Contest:
6:00 PM on 03.07.2010
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Of course, it could be a PAN setup, but then again what's the point of playing it across several platforms if you could just walk over to the other side of the room to get back to it?
If it has to rely on the controls of a phone, it will be very simplistic on the 360 or PC.
However people thinking this is going to ACTUALLY be used for your Xbox360/PC/PDA your sadly mistaken it's just a demonstration of what CAN be achieved, and if it is done it's most likely going to be small scale games.
Mostly this kind of thing will be running for PS3/Xbox360 only as a means of saving an EXACT spot and returning to it, either from another console or the one you just left, which is similar to what is done with ROMs (save state feature). On PS3 this WILL be a premium feature, however I'm not sure of MS doing it for multi-platforming.
Beyond console, though if you think of the BROADER world, if you could save state something your working on whether a project or whatever, flip it over to someone in another part of the world, they work on what they think or change up the design of what your working on, approve it, flip it back to you where they left off and you can complete the project and have it on the ground in weeks.
It's pretty nice, it will speed up production of all kinds of things by months.
This is a cool feature, but I want to see what games it could work with before I get excited.
vApathyv,
your right. Ps3-only guys kind of irascible lately. Why? Rarely see a xbot bitching.
The funny thing is XBLA arcade games are more critically acclaimed than PSN games. Take that fanboy shit somewhere else, you embarrass PS3 owners, idiot.
I expect that most old skool arcade games could run and especially control reasonably well on a phone, so this'd be ideal.
Excellent stuff.
I kid, I kid.
Someone posts 360 story - Sony fanboys show up to complain 360 has no good games, and author is biased against ps3.
Someone posts wii story - Sony fanboys still find a way to degrade conversation to bias against ps3.
What the fuck is going on here?? Is it like this on other sites?? Who the fuck opened the cage door?? Where were these guys 6 months ago??
Anyway, yeah it's pretty cool but I imagine I will never use it. I seldom listen to my minidisk player anymore when I'm out and about. I'm sick of "passing the time" between being busy here and being busy there. There's a lot of interesting things in the real world - you just gotta soak it up!
1.) This system already works for the XNA Framework. I personally have written a game that runs on my Zune and on my PC. The point of the technology is that almost all of the code is shared (in my game the only difference is in handling the input).
2.)Nothing in this video mentions how they are porting your progress from one platform to the next. XNA provides easy networking capabilities and they may have written a simple server backend to facilitate this demonstration. Until they announce specific technologies they have developed for game creators to use, assume that this kind of cross platform persistence is not something you will see in every game.
3.)Of course it will take a very special game to make this kind of cross platform gaming appealing to a customer. The point here is that it is possible and easy to do for developers.
Take Away Message: This tech demo was meant for developers, so stop worrying about the games that will inevitably cater to the weakest link (the phone), or how much Microsoft will charge for this. Keep this in mind any game available on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel can be played on a Windows PC (with almost zero modification). In essence this world already exists Microsoft just hasn't marketed it to gamers yet.
I just hope it doesn't suffer from hardware/software failure.
Could have good potential if any of the mainstream games do it. But if they did no doubt theyd want 2-3 times the price.
I guess this could work for cetain game types, and as phones get more powerful, possibly that opens up more options there. Alternatively, facets of a game could be played from the phone, like pub games in Fable III or something. Minigames and the like.
I've been having trouble deciding on a new phone ever since my SE W800i, so maybe a phone capable of this interaction is what I'm waiting for.
Turican FTW!