GMO Cloud

Why Game Development is Better in a Hybrid Environment

Game development is a complex process. The life cycle of a game can extend for years and some may go on for decades. Some of the game development processes can be easily moved to the cloud whereas others seem to hit a roadblock. This is the main reason why development in a hybrid environment is growing at a rapid pace instead of comprehensive migration to the cloud.

Understanding the game development process

To understand the game development process, we have to divide it into several blocks.

Pre-Production

Storyboarding

This is the conceptual stage, in which writers and artists are primarily involved. Modern storyboarding can often involve people from various parts of the world, and such collaborative work requires robust tools which speed up decision making and enhance productivity. A cloud-based offering is best suited for this stage. We require an enterprise collaborative environment to enrich the process.

Creating a 2D Prototype

This stage is critical especially when game developers are seeking funding for their project. One must realize that 3D animation is both labor and infrastructure intensive, calling for an infusion of large investment. At the same time, 2D prototyping does not consume as much processing power or memory. For a startup prototyping in a cloud environment is ideal, and typically game developers work on several prototypes simultaneously and then pitch to investors. The cost of developing prototypes can be dramatically reduced in the cloud.

Production

Full Scale Game Development

One must remember that not all prototypes pass the test to reach the 3D development stage. At this juncture the need for extensive infrastructure becomes important. Game development by itself can be divided into several smaller processes: modeling, texture mapping, lighting effects, animation and finally rendering. Executing these processes requires extensive resources which can be accessed in a cloud environment. Rendering farms in the cloud can be very cost effective especially when the demand for the resources is elastic and fluctuating.

The main limitation in adopting cloud technology for rendering is the transfer of data. Since the amount of data transferred is usually in the terabytes, and the time required for this can sometimes negate some of the benefits derived from cloud infrastructure.

Post Production

Compositing and special effects are part of the post-production process, and here there is sufficient scope for using cloud-based infrastructure. The problem of data transfer through internet pipelines can be negated to some extent, since the rendering process is already completed.

Testing

Testing may seem like a tertiary process but in game development, this step is crucial. Game developers utilize the expertise of seasoned gamers, often scattered all over the globe. A cloud-based environment is perfectly suited for testing, mainly because of its multi-location features. You can read more about this on GMO Cloud’s Locations page.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s pretty clear that some 3D game development processes are a great fit for the cloud environment while others are better suited for in-house infrastructure. Rendering farms in the cloud can only be effectively utilized if the data pipeline is robust. For this reason, game development may be perfectly  suited for a hybrid environment, rather than completely migrated all processes to the cloud.

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About the Guest Author:

Sankarambadi Srinivasan, ‘Srini’, is a maverick writer, technopreneur, geek and online marketing enthusiast rolled into one. He began his career as a Naval weapon specialist. Later, he sold his maiden venture and became head of an offshore Database administration company in Mumbai. He moved on as Chief Technology Officer of one of the largest online entities, where he led consolidation of 300 online servers and introduced several Web 2.0 initiatives. He holds a Master’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication.

Cloud Computing and Big Data – Predicting Pregnancy in Customers!

When you collect big data, there can really be a number of of ethical issues involved with its management. While these are not related to the technical aspects of handling big data, these ethical issues can be even more difficult to handle than the technical issues.

Look for example at what the New York Times published on February 16, 2012. You can find the article at this link and it gives out in graphic detail how complex the ethical issues with big data can be.

Target, as many of us are aware, is a very large chain of stores and stocks a very large range of stuff from electronics to toys and furniture and a large number of other objects of daily use. What Target has found is that many customers come to it primarily for cleaning supplies and over time, they have come to associate the stores with this line of goods. This is a habit that clients have developed and it is not easy to change.

Breaking habits is not easy but there are times when this can be done. Approaching childbirth is one such time. Target apparently discovered that during this critical and unsettled period in a woman’s life, it was possible to change purchasing habits and associate Target with all other household goods besides only cleaning supplies.

The way to do this was through analysis of big data. A very qualified statistician at the chain told The New York Times that every customer is given a unique guest ID and based on this ID, the store knows everything possible about the purchasing behavior of the client. The researcher went through very detailed listings of purchasing patterns of tens of thousands of shoppers and compared the data with the lists of shoppers who had willingly disclosed their pregnancy in a ‘baby shower register’. Analysts found that women in the second trimester of their pregnancy began to buy extra large quantities of unscented lotion, hand sanitizers and cotton balls.

The data collected could even begin to predict the date of the client’s delivery and therefore the company began to take advantage of this ‘knowledge’ by sending her a lot of specifically directed advertisements and coupons for baby care products and related items.

This kind of capability must have netted Target millions in additional sales. And I am sure that Target is not the only company that is collecting and analyzing this type of big data to improve their bottom line.

This much data gathering, storage and management needs to be hosted in a fully secured facility both physical and virtual. One thing to say about this store chain is that its locations play a major factor, since there will be multiple sources of data going to one central repository. One example is GMO Cloud, which has a multi-level security strategy that meets large quantity requirements.

Going back, two issues emerge. This kind of data collection and analysis is only possible using the cloud, because it is only the cloud that permits the collection and manipulation of really large quantities of data. The second point to make is whether such analysis is really something ethical or does it represent a gross violation of individual privacy?

This article is not about the ethical issues involved but about the capabilities that cloud computing can give your company. If you can add up the millions of bit of data you have about your customers and analyze it carefully, you may get insights that never dreamt were possible.

What do you feel about this? Are there any issues you want to flag? Do you think this kind of analysis is correct or ethical or legal?

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About the Guest Author:

Sanjay Srivastava has been active in computing infrastructure and has participated in major projects on cloud computing, networking, VoIP and in creation of applications running over distributed databases. Due to a military background, his focus has always been on stability and availability of infrastructure. Sanjay was the Director of Information Technology in a major enterprise and managed the transition from legacy software to fully networked operations using private cloud infrastructure. He now writes extensively on cloud computing and networking and is about to move to his farm in Central India where he plans to use cloud computing and modern technology to improve the lives of rural folk in India.

This Week in the Cloud [March 1, 2013]

This Week in the Cloud [March 1, 2013]

In case you missed it, here are a few notable stories posted on our GMO Cloud blog this past week. As always, you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook, or sign up for our newsletter updates here.

Network Based E-learning Market is Moving Towards the Cloud

From the time Compaq originally coined the term ‘Cloud Computing’, this new technology has been creating a lot of hype. Several industries have experienced revolutionary growth by implementing cloud-based technologies.

Read more

E-Learning and the Asian Market

Experts predict that the Asian e-leaning market will grow tremendously before the decade is over. This poses a significant opportunity for cloud technology, often an essential component in providing e-learning services.

Read more

Why Japan Continues to Use In-House Capabilities For 3D Rendering and Research

While Japan continues to see major advances in 3D computer graphic rendering, it has surprised many that this user base in not moving aggressively to the cloud. Research carried out by industry experts and by IT companies …

Read more

Cloud-based 3D Rendering Farms and the Japanese Market

Large-scale 3D rendering of computer-generated imagery and video is one of the fields where cloud technology has allowed smaller companies to level the playing field. Just a few years ago, the capacity to render high quality …

Read more

Bringing Business Intelligence to the Cloud

BI, or business intelligence, is perhaps the fastest growing sector in the cloud computing space. There is a reason for this. In some ways, cloud architecture is ideal for collating, analyzing and experimenting with data …

Read more

Network Based E-learning Market is Moving Towards the Cloud

From the time Compaq originally coined the term ‘Cloud Computing’, this new technology has been creating a lot of hype. Several industries have experienced revolutionary growth by implementing cloud-based technologies. However, the niche e-learning market is a relatively new entrant into cloud computing.

But after a relatively late start it is rapidly moving ahead. According to a recent survey conducted by Yana Economic Research Institute on the e-learning market in Japan, network based e-learning has experienced 1.8% growth in 2012.

It is interesting to note that e-learning using smartphones within the B2B segment has increased by 33.3%. In the B2C segment, the growth rate is 18.4%. E-learning in the B2B segment using tablets has increased by 100%. The B2C segment has experienced a rise of 50%. On the other hand, the non-network learning market has seen a decline of 5% in 2012.

Looking at these figures, it is evident that the network based e-learning market in Japan is increasing rapidly. One of the main reasons for this sudden shift is the introduction of cloud computing technology to the industry. The availability of high end technology augmented by huge storage resources and scalable features enabled the e-learning industry to leverage resources and offer quality services to customers.

What does the cloud offer the e-learning industry?

The ever-growing benefits of cloud-based services make it inevitable most industries will shift to the cloud. E-learning is no exception. Here are some of the striking features offered by the cloud computing technology that have revolutionized the teaching segment.

Highly intuitive teaching materials

Modern cloud technology has largely digitalized education. The network based e-learning industry enjoys the flexibility of creating highly intuitive presentations, teaching materials, guides, and lesson plans. Cutting-edge technology available via the cloud enables the teacher to create interactive courses, augmented by live audio/video streaming, delivering concepts and skills effectively and efficiently.

In addition, instructors have the luxury of using the technology to assess and evaluate the performance of their students. Technology assists teachers in creating motivational lessons and in assessing student learning faster and with better accuracy.

Increased revenue for tutors and savings for students

Looking at the statistics provided by the Yana Economic Research Institute, it is evident that traditional teachers are greatly impacted by online teaching methods. By opting for cloud-based teaching, online tutors can even create a network of students across the globe. The increased student base creates additional revenue for online tutors, but at the same time it benefits students too. For instance, a student who pays $100 to learn piano from a conventional class now spends $30 to listen to piano classes online. This is a win-win situation for tutors as well as students.

The mobility factor

Cloud-based services allow users to store all files on a secure server. While storage solutions offer quick and secure access of data, another striking advantage is the mobility factor. By storing teaching materials in the cloud, tutors can take classes even while traveling. At the same time, students have the flexibility to attend classes from anywhere. With smartphones dominating mobile technology, the e-learning segment can reap huge benefits from this new portability.

The bottom line is that cloud technology enables maximum storage and scalability resources with little to no limitations. Read more about autoscaling, storage capabilities and other useful cloud features in GMO Cloud’s High Availability page and find out why cloud technology is the more logical choice in the e-learning industry.

Be Part of Our Cloud Conversation

Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Be Part of Our Cloud Conversation

Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Guest Author:

Kaushik Das is an engineer, research analyst and a technical writer in the areas wireless, IT, enterprise software, next-generation hosting, storage and renewable energy. He specializes in competitive analysis, market research, industry insights, white paper and actionable web content development.

E-Learning and the Asian Market

Experts predict that the Asian e-leaning market will grow tremendously before the decade is over. This poses a significant opportunity for cloud technology, often an essential component in providing e-learning services. While the worldwide market for e-learning platforms and related products are increasing globally, trends indicate the the majority of growth in this sector will occur in the Asian market. In 2011 the industry reached a historical high of $35 billion dollars and predictions indicate that it will grow ten billion more in the next three years, and further still in the next decade.

The Asian market is especially attractive for companies providing e-learning products

E-learning can be applied to all educational levels and demands, ranging from training in a corporate environment to kindergarten to graduate school. Asia in particular has embraced e-learning, especially for its potential in language acquisition.

The initial adoption of e-learning in the region can be attributed to the high demand for native English speaking teachers. However, as the technology has advanced, e-learning has been adapted for all kinds of uses. Surprisingly, even though Japan is one of the most technologically developed nations in the Asian region, there is little demand for e-learning outside of language courses.

Where in Asia has e-learning been most successful?

There is no question that South Korea is the regional leader (and arguably, the worldwide leader) when it comes to e-learning programs. This is because the technology sector in South Korea is particularly well-developed and the nation enjoys some of the world’s fasted Internet connection speeds. Most colleges in the country have courses that are taught online and there are nearly two dozen colleges that have their whole curriculum online.

India and China have also been major factors in the growth of the e-learning market in the region, mainly due to the development of world-class universities and efforts to make education accessible to every citizen.  Meanwhile, Thailand has been an important driving force behind e-learning programs for K–9 levels and made the news recently as a government plan to give five million children in elementary schools throughout the country tablet computers has kindled interest in e-learning methods there.

Technological development does not necessarily translate into more e-learning initiatives

While it is true that a lack of the technological infrastructure necessary for these kinds of programs makes it impossible to develop effective e-learning projects, some of the most developed countries in the world like the United States and Japan lag behind countries with a bigger need for these products when it comes to e-learning. It is important to keep this in mind when viewing the potential growth of the e-learning market. While studies predict a growth of about ten percent in the American market, Asian countries are expected to increase their demand for e-learning services by about 25%.

E-learning and the cloud

The development of cloud technology is one of the main drivers behind the e-learning boom of recent years. As VoIP and video conferencing technologies improve, the demand for the cloud will also increase. The e-learning market is a significant opportunity for the growth of cloud adoption in the region. It is important to note that the main drivers for growth in Asia in the next few years will be centered on academia and on English teaching services.

Economic development and globalization could lead to an increase in corporate training programs. Some experts have also predicted many educational institutions shifting completely to the web as technology develops, although that is probably still at least a decade away.

One of the most obvious and yet most important elements of cloud technology that enables e-learning is the multi-location feature of cloud providers, allowing fast and easy access from wherever you are in the world. To give you an example, GMO Cloud has data centers in the United States and Asia Pacific that will allow users to access data easily in these areas; the same areas where we see some of the fastest growing e-learning activities in the whole world.

About the Guest Author:

Nida Rasheed is a freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, Nida often finds herself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to her heart. She lives in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be found on Twitter @nidarasheed.