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Crytek: Streaming games service viable in 2013

Yerli reveals studio had researched similar tech being used by OnLive and Gaikai

Developer Crytek has revealed to GamesIndustry.biz that it has researched the viability of a streaming videogame service similar to those currently being touted by OnLive and Gaikai.

However, the Crysis studio concluded that such a service would not be possible until around 2013 at the earliest.

"We had our research in 2005 on this subject but we stopped around 2007 because we had doubts about economics of scale. But that was at a time when bandwidth was more expensive," said CEO Cevat Yerli.

"We saw that by 2013 - 2015 with the development of bandwidths and household connections worldwide that it might become more viable then."

Yerli said that the main barrier would be relying on the technology of broadband providers to ensure a smooth connection and gameplay experience.

"It doesn't take a lot to make a video-based renderer, but what you need is the right infrastructure that is beyond the technology we have, it's more like cable net providers and communication networks.

"They have to provide fast bandwidths and connectivity in order to allow such technology to excel. So as it was dependent on somebody else, we decided to wait," he detailed.

Yerli also clarified that Crytek is not currently involved with Steve Perlman's OnLive service, despite the company using Crysis in tech demos.

Electronic Arts, which publishes Crysis Warhead – one of the titles listed by OnLive as coming soon to the cloud gaming service – is one of the publishing partners, but Yerli himself has not seen the technology up close.

"We're not involved, we just allowed Crysis to be tested on it," he said. "It will be interesting to see how it happens under millions of users. Let's say more than a few hundred users, how it will behave.

"I want to see it myself. I don't want to say it's either 'top or flop'. I hope it works for them because it could improve gamers lives. The technology of video-based rendering is not actually a very new concept but they do some things that others didn't do before so it will be interesting to see," he added.

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Matt Martin

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Matt Martin joined GamesIndustry in 2006 and was made editor of the site in 2008. With over ten years experience in journalism, he has written for multiple trade, consumer, contract and business-to-business publications in the games, retail and technology sectors.

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