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Interesting concept but I think it's too far out. Like you mentioned though, you'd need a fast connection to stream 1080p

This is basically the way the X Window System works. It's been around since 1984.

I'll never go back to dumb terminals. Everything I own must be in my physical possession or I simply won't buy. I enjoy tinkering with and hacking (my own networks), as well as messing with code, which won't be possible in such an environment. Also, if anyone got by the cloud supercomputer's protection system, millions of hard drives worth of data could be at risk.

I'm with BAMT all the way! I'm not subscribing to any model where I don't have a computer that's MINE and I can do whatever i want with it. I'm not for any computing collectivization!

The local hardware will always be a factor. While the data may be streaming in, if the monitor isn't capable of displaying it... it just isn't going to show up. If the local system doesn't have enough video memory, the buffer's simply going to overflow. And on, and on and on.

The online component has long been known to reduce piracy. For example, how many pirated copies of World of Warcraft are out there? I'd bet there actually are some, but if you don't pay Blizzard $15 a month its usefulness is severely limited. And if you do try to connect with Blizzard using a pirated copy, I'd bet they can spot it in a matter of seconds.

The thing about wow is that you have to have a game code you bought registered to not just play the game but to register that it you bought it. It then appears on your account and you can easily from Blizzard download the original game and if you paid for it the expansions. Without the legally purchased codes which are you know the games itself which can be purchased online from them your game won't even work. I'm sure that if someone downloaded a fake wow or even the real one someone put up that it is still useless if there is not a valid game code onto your account. Of course there is the monthly fee as well.



Alternatively the closest you can get to playing a fake wow would be one of the private servers people put out. The problem with that is they don't have the regular WoW Tuesday maintenance so they don't really take care of it as well.. most creatures in the game on private servers I've played don't even move. Most have insane leveling rates or they just hand you a level 80 + all the gear you ever want.. kinda takes the fun out of the game no one earning anything at all. The private servers arn't worth playing unless you just want to see what its like to fly around on the Phoenix mount for a few minuets.
Wow of course has some sort of guard dog when you come online a lot of Linux users struggle to legitimately play the game because of it. Since its not a platform they put out the game for it makes things harder.

AuroraDizon said:

This is precisely what I was thinking of when I said "I'd bet there actually are some."

The point I was making, though, is that even IF the pirated version wasn't detected, they'd still be losing only a small fraction of their income. Has anyone other than me noticed that Wrath of the Lich King (like The Burning Crusade expansion) didn't come with complementary 30 days of play? That's because they know what side their bread's buttered. Why give away what people will pay for?

Base your software on required online access and you control piracy.


Edit: Imagine the impact if RIAA gave away free MP3 players that were based on storing the songs on their servers? I'm guessing they'd have to charge only a nominal fee (like $5/mo for unlimited storage) for it to catch on.

It is really annoying they don't give you a free month but when they count it up even with the sale of the game they would lose a lot of money that month. As far as I can remember Everquest never offered an extra 30 days for game expansions either.