Famitsu noted a new cloud gaming service for Japanese arcades which SEGA is currently working on under the resource and development development division.
It is called Fog Gaming and could be revolutionary for the arcade industry. Here’s what we know so far:
About Fog Gaming
Fog Gaming would repurpose arcades across Japan as part of the cloud, as well as channel arcade game machines’ CPUs and GPUs, resulting in lower costs. This would provide ultra low latency, and the concept is similar to fog computing.
More details about Sega's new 'Fog Gaming' just posted.https://t.co/MWCrSed3vW
It's a cloud gaming service for arcades. It will make use of the arcade cabinet's CPU/GPU which will reduce costs and keep lag down. And it allows game centers to make money outside of operating hours— PushDustIn (@PushDustIn) June 3, 2020
Players would be able to enjoy high-quality games, and arcades would be able to make money even after business hours.
How it works
Sega would be using arcade machines as the “technical backbone” of the service, particularly after business hours, allowing the arcade owners to profit from the machines even when closed. The main idea behind this is that streaming the games from a location closer to gamers would reduce delay.
By relying on the CPUs and GPUs of the machines, Sega claims to be able to offer “ultra-low latency” for users, as latency issues are a large issue for current cloud-based streaming services. A number of these services have begun to pop up in recent years, with Google Stadia and PlayStation’s PlayStation Now serving as frontrunners.
