Cloud gaming is not your enemy
Historically, gaming fans are resistant to change — and sometimes for good reason. Through its long history, the video game industry has experimented with ideas that tend to pit the best interests of players against those of corporations. Everything from invasive microtransactions, to the Xbox One’s failed always-online plan, to the current NFT craze have prompted a vocal pushback from skeptical players.
With gamers currently on high alert due to a new wave of buzzy industry concepts, cloud gaming is seemingly under more scrutiny than ever. The more companies experiment with the tech, the more it’s treated as an existential threat to the industry. When Kingdom Hearts came to Nintendo Switch via cloud ports, fans dragged it through the mud. Sony’s recent revelation that PS Plus will feature cloud versions of PS3 games triggered similar blowback from fans who demanded native ports.
The skepticism is understandable as cloud proponents have yet to earn players’ trust. Cloud gaming continues to be a tricky technology as it relies on a user having a good internet connection — something that isn’t always possible in most of the U.S. However, outright opposition to the tech can feel misplaced. Unlike other recent tech innovations, cloud gaming could actually solve problems. In fact, we’re already seeing just how positive it can be as an option.
The negative response to cloud gaming’s continued growth is complicated. While players have plenty of legitimate issues with the tech, part of the response stems from its initial implementation. When Google launched its cloud platform Stadia in 2019, there was no real road map for how the cloud should integrate into video games. Google packaged its service into a pricey subscription model
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