From the introduction of the term, ‘the power of the cloud has become a bit of a running joke in the core gaming community, mostly because of the insistence of some Microsoft execs in supposedly over-stating the capability of the service. But in its core function, what the Azure Network does is it provides a widespread and stable option for developers to rely on as opposed the default situation where developers are faced with the expensive and herculean task of sorting out their own network of dedicated servers. Evolution Studios will no doubt be aware of these problems more than anyone at the current moment as the highly anticipated PS4 exclusive racer, DriveClub suffers from crippling network problems that prevent players from getting online with the game that has such a big focus on social cohesion and experiencing the game online. The developers issues the following statement on their Facebook page:
We’re just as frustrated as you about the server performance issues right now. We want you to be racing with clubs and having fun playing challenges, not checking Facebook updates from us to see if the servers are updated yet.
If you are one of the lucky ones to get online with DriveClub, don’t sign out!
The servers for the game are up and running but because of “performance limits”, the DriveClub servers cannot accept new players unless existing ones drop out from their online sessions. This frankly, is a ridiculous situation to be in and no doubt frustrating for players who want to get on with enjoying the game after contending with an almost year long delay of the title. It should be noted that day one teething network problems are hardly something new in this medium but it does beg the question that, if the likes of Bungie with Destiny can pull off a comparatively smooth launch, why are Evolution Studios having such an inordinately difficult time getting the servers up and running to an acceptable standard? Bungie, by virtue of their partnership with Activision are able to rely on their significantly greater resources to provide a more stable server network.
The Azure Network then, prima facie, offers a great solution for ‘smaller’ development outfits such as Evolution Studios to tap into the most widespread network on the planet and one that is vastly most stable than any individually negotiated network setup. We do not pretend to be network experts here at GameOnDaily but even to those as uninitiated as ourselves, the power of the cloud makes sense in this scenario . Are we being naive in our assessment here or do you think we have a point?
http://www.gameondaily.com/driveclub-network-disaster-proof-power-cloud-joke/
