Sega Launching Low-Latency “Fog Gaming” Platform Powered by Arcade Machines

[Tsing]

Image: Sega



Last week, a Japanese technology journalist by the name of Zenji Nishikawa claimed that he had huge news to share regarding Sega, which got fans really riled up. Was the company planning a grand return to the console space with a new Dreamcast, where it’ll do battle once again with Sony and Nintendo? Sadly, no.



According to Ryokutya2089 (via Gematsu), Sega is prepping a novel game platform called “Fog Gaming,” which will turn arcade machines across Japan into a cloud network of some sort. Their CPUs and GPUs will be used to reduce costs and deliver ultra-low latency service.



Article now with info:– yes, "Fog Gaming" is the "scoop"– Sega will use...

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[Grimlakin]

That is... I don't see how that is going to work. You have so many pieces of latency around these devices I just don't see how the performance can be reliable and fast, especially if you get more active users at once than you have available devices because then you're slicing up gpu render time across multiple 'cabinets'. I... I'm at a loss on how this would technologically be viable.

Remember Grid networking and the playstation 2? or was it 3? that went nowhere fast for a reason.

 

[Burticus]

So the plan is to turn arcade Virtua Fighter coin ops into night time colo datacenters? I mean... wha?

And yeah try to find an arcade in the US with modern hardware outside of Dave & Busters. Only other "arcades" I've seen in last 15 years are retro only arcade/bar & grills (like Barcade, for example)

edit - ok I read it wrong. Like cloud game streaming for arcades. Still a bad idea.

 

[SeymourGore]

Sega needs to lay off the smack - arcades have been at death's door for years now, maybe they were still popular in Asia but I imagine coronavirus will take a chunk out of any profit public arcades still make.

What's next Sega? Going to produce palm-sized Game Gears...?

 

[DrezKill]

arcades have been at death's door for years now

In the USA yeah. In Japan it's like the age of arcades never ever died. Arcade centers and arcade machines are literally everywhere, and the centers still get packed. I do imagine though that COVID-19 really ****ed things up at Japanese arcades.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Sega needs to lay off the smack - arcades have been at death's door for years now, maybe they were still popular in Asia but I imagine coronavirus will take a chunk out of any profit public arcades still make.

What's next Sega? Going to produce palm-sized Game Gears...?

Arcade bars around here are a pretty popular thing. We've got two; not to mention most large cities have a Dave & Busters of which are pretty popular. Doesn't Chuck-E-Cheese have arcades as well?

I don't think they're "dead" per se, unless they're a standalone type arcade. I don't know of any of them in existence anymore. Not around here anyway.

 

[Brian_B]

I have to say I’ve heard of much dumber ideas that gain traction. Why not.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Drinking + Gaming is a thing.

I do it all the time. LOL

 

[Grimlakin]

You all are talking about event based venues that have some game machines.

And if any of you haven't been to a chuke cheeses... there are no 'arcade machines' they are all activity machines now. That spew forth mountains of worthless tickets so you can spend 200 dollars so your 4 year old can get a 2 dollar whistle.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Well I haven't been to a chucke cheese in a long while, but Box Car Arcade near me has more than just "some" arcade machines. Their entire building is nothing but arcades with a bar on the back 3/4 of the wall. Only part of the floor at the establishment that doesn't have machines is the outside patio where you have to go if you wanna smoke.




Here a picture of the old setup, most of those arcades have been replaced by different ones now.

There is another place, just like that one, near me that's the same way. I just can't think of the name as I never go out around that area.

 

[Grimlakin]

I love that but the few smattering of adult arcades does not jive with what we had as young adults or teens in the 80's is what most are discussing.

 

[Grimlakin]

Well I haven't been to a chucke cheese in a long while, but Box Car Arcade near me has more than just "some" arcade machines. Their entire building is nothing but arcades with a bar on the back 3/4 of the wall. Only part of the floor at the establishment that doesn't have machines is the outside patio where you have to go if you wanna smoke.

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Here a picture of the old setup, most of those arcades have been replaced by different ones now.

There is another place, just like that one, near me that's the same way. I just can't think of the name as I never go out around that area.

One other note I wanted to add. Is anyone actually playing a game at that 'arcade' or is it really a Bar that's named an arcade so guys can go and have a few drinks without their wives complaining they are wasting money on alcohol?

I see ONE person playing a game and it looks like they are wearing a shirt that says 'security' on the back so they might just be an employee there.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

One other note I wanted to add. Is anyone actually playing a game at that 'arcade' or is it really a Bar that's named an arcade so guys can go and have a few drinks without their wives complaining they are wasting money on alcohol?

I see ONE person playing a game and it looks like they are wearing a shirt that says 'security' on the back so they might just be an employee there.

I think that picture was taken during the day when they first opened. In the afternoons say after about 4PM it gets busy, and after around 10PM it becomes 21+ only. I stopped going because it's usually so busy I don't even get to enjoy playing the games much.

To the right of that picture is another full row of games, plus some in the corner to the right and the far right wall has about 10 - 15 Pinball machines (last time I was there)

Those tables you see aren't there anymore, IIRC, the table on the right back is outside and the table right foreground is moved up closer to the bar on the left. Behind the cameraman is another room with some more games, but that room has the physical games (basketball, DDR, airhockey, etc..) in it.

Also, almost all the machines you see in that picture have already been replaced by something different except the Galaga game that security guy is playing.

Those TVs in the back left of the picture are connected to home consoles that are free-to-play. N64, SNES and NES were the consoles connected to it last time I was there, but they change them out at times as well. Most people play Mario Kart 64 on it though. lol