One thing is for sure, if both consoles release, and PS4 games continually end up looking better, Microsoft will find it hard to live down these sorts of claims.
What they are proposing is a logistical and technical nightmare. Potentially considerably complicating the development pipeline further, but that's just my opinion. To me, they would be better suited to just using those servers to offer dedicated servers (which I think they are) for low latency advantages in ping, less lag in online games, bigger maps, more players etc.
Im not an network engineer, but I do feel I have a bit of common sense. Logistically speaking, to take advantage of this stuff as advertised is going to require a skill set that is far beyond from what we are currently seeing in games for something that at best will only gain pairty with late PS4 games. Even if games look slightly better, its gonna be a nightmare to account for a million different setups and connections.
I honestly want to know, in a time where we barely can get worthwhile netcode for a fighting game, where all thes super network planners an engineers that not only account for all the variables, but also orgainse the game and server calculations so they are perfectly in sync are going to come from?
Not only that, but show me the thought process that makes anyone think that graphical flourises that are present in the lead platform for a game that are coded to hardware (PC and PS4) Will easily and cheaply be ripped out and put into the cloud instead? "Oh rip the trees out and put them in the cloud in the xbox version" Am i naive to believe that thats not how game development works?
While you are at it, can you tell me where the publishers are who will be that concerned with graphical parity between consoles that will invest in these people during development, for little no to proof of an increased return because of it?
Finally, can you find me the people who will be so impressed by this that they will buy a game based on it? Nothing suggested here has not been shown to work on a current generation PC and Last time I checked most games on PC dont even come close to tapping that level of power.
This shit sounds like the worse kind of snake oil because while their may be some true to it in practise its not going to be used to anyone bar microsoft and even spordically because of all the problems it can cause if it goes wrong.
The "Cloud" is going to be used many for one thing :- Streaming live video, TV and music to consoles for a fee. anyone who believes different is deluded.