Microsoft’s Azure cloud servers are apparently ‘essential’ to the function of Titanfall on the Xbox One as they heavily impact on the consoles processing capabilities, according to a report on Engadget.
The servers, whilst also performing their general role as a dedicated multiplayer arena, actually power aspects of the game that are usually supplemented by the console hardware itself; of particular note is the AI-controlled NPC’s such as the Grunts, Spectres and Auto-Titans. This in turn leaves more processing power available to “achieve more detailed graphics and the game’s silky-smooth frame rate.” Respawn engineer Jon Shiring revealed that this factor did result in many publishers shying away originally –
“Back when we started talking to Microsoft about it, everyone thought it was kind of crazy and a lot of other publishers were terrified of even doing it. I’ve heard that since our beta ended, they’ve been pounding down the doors at Microsoft because they’re realizing that it really is a real thing right now.”
Whilst it is reassuring to see that the Azure servers are powerful enough to perform both functions, it does raise concerns for the near future. With millions of players likely to come online over the next few weeks, the strain could lead to issues with not only matchmaking but also with gameplay elements. The game did receive a stress test during the beta, but it certainly has more to handle this time around in terms of number and gameplay mechanics. This has also been the dominant reason as to why Titanfall won’t be released in regions without Azure servers, such as South Africa.
What do you think of the extra strain on the servers? Do you think the gain outweighs the risk? Leave a comment below with your thoughts!
