Buzzword De Jour: Distributed Computing (hereafter Dist Comp). A series of computers, connected via a network that all work together to solve  problem or set of probems.

Sony is talking about using this in their next generation of PlayStation devices, IBM is turning the Department of Energy on to it, and it has been used for a few years to find a cure for cancer, the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, and for folding the proteins of the Human Genome.

While I don't mind the idea of harvesting unused cycles of computing time for use in things to better mankind, but gaming? That's a bit much to ask. Questions regarding the Playstation 3 and Dist Comp:

• How is this going to work? Will my PS3 be "always on", hogging up both power and bandwidth? If so, that's a pretty powerful incentive not to get one, no matter how good the games look.
• If I try to play off a network, how will that effect gameplay? Will AI be "dumber" since it can't use networked resources to out think me? Will the cology of the world I'm playing in suffer since, again, it cannot use the Dist Comp resources that would optimally be available to it?
• Alternately, how will lots of players effect a MMORGP [Massive/Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game]? Will each players machine be responsible for "thinking" for a certain amount of the game world surroiunding the character, allowing for more cycles to be dedicated to rendering or AI as people clump up and/or team together? That could make for interesting dynamics as people group, since  their AI opponents will get smarter at a rate that is proportional to the size of the player... Yet breaking off and running into the wilderness to escape will facilitate the enemies losing tactical ability as they will get "dumber."
  
  This would allow for rich NPC AI in cities, as users would tend to congregate there, and for parties to fight tactically savvy opponent hordes that would get more panicy and reckless as their numbers get whittled down... Limiting the weighted options that the horde has based on the number of players in the area (which helps determine the size of said horde) coud allow for interseting dynamics. Artillery comes into play only if there is group of 8 or more players in a formation, yet a lone player could sneak into a castle. Interesting.

9:53:24 AM