This week, Unity Technologies announced a partnership with streaming technology company GameString to build a cloud-based game server for Unity games, creating a platform for a "virtual interactive channel" for 3D games on web-enabled devices. In making the announcement, GameString said its "dual rendering method" will enable developers to be able to "serve optimized experiences" to gamers via web browser. The two companies also hope their partnership will help developers serve "higher-end social games and more hardcore" web games. Chris Boothroyd, CEO of GameString, said when making the announcement, "As consumer demand for visually rich-browser-based games increases, social, casual, MMO and more hard-core games are maturing and filling up our daily online entertainment." He also called the new platform "an opportunity to increase and improve what casual, as well as high-end gamers want."

When cloud computing first cane into being, it was seen as a business application because rather than paying for typical IT solutions, cloud computing reduced costs and allowed for more collaboration, flexibility and scalability of IT resources. As far as IT services were concerned, the introduction of cloud computing finally gave small- and medium-sized software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses the opportunity to complete with giant, billion-dollar businesses. However, recent reports are showing that business isn't the only avenue for cloud computing. Much of the advanced cloud technology is now being used for online gaming.

So far, it appears that the games most likely to utilize "high-end" cloud computing frameworks are Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). In fact, MMORPGs have found enormous success utilizing cloud technology because they operate on an SaaS model - gamers don't have to invest in expensive hardware and are enticed to pay a monthly subscription to play. Think of it as Netflix for the gaming crowd: gamers subscribe to a service such as Steam or , pay a monthly fee and play! This is all done via a cloud computing distribution system, which uses rapid data compression that allows gamers to store their games in the cloud (or, Web servers) and then retrieve them using any Web browser. It works the same as storing photos on a site like Picasa or Flickr. With the advent of cloud computing, gamers do not have to worry about buying the latest version of PlayStation or XBox or storing files on a specific computer; instead, their games can be accessed from anywhere they happen to be.

Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive, said, "We've [taken] the first step toward a future where video game content is increasingly free from the restrictions of device and location, while showcasing the ability to instantly play the latest, most advanced games at the touch of a button." As it turns out, gamers have clamored to this form of gaming. The PC Games Digital Downloads Analyst Report indicates that more video games were purchased online and downloaded digitally during the first six months of 2010 than were bought at retail stores - the first time this situation has occurred. And, while retail sales still showed a larger bottom line, analysts surmise that it's because games bought in stores simply have a higher price point. And, with Nielsen indicating that 25% of online time is spent playing games, there is no sign of a slowdown for cloud computing.

In fact, according to Roger Strukhoff, writing for Cloud Computing, this form of game streaming is an important and critical piece of the gaming pie. According to Strukhoff, the "world of online computer games - particularly MMOGs and MMORPGs - represents very complex computing challenges" because thousands of players are online simultaneously, which can cause challenges for game administrators. So, taking care of gaming situations via clouds rather than utilizing the services of IT individuals streamlines the entire process. In addition, Les Thomas, an analyst and producer interviewed by Strukhoff, says, "the possibility of cloud gaming and expansive MMOGs is to increase the area of play exponentially. And really, only cloud gaming can effectively meet this need."

So, all told, there are numerous reasons why companies are turning to online gaming via cloud computing. One is, of course, income stream, and it's already been proven that gamers don't mind paying for their games. In addition, gamers don't have to upgrade outdated equipment and they also have the convenience of mobility. Finally, they can play high-tech games on low-end computers, or even on their mobile devices or large-screen HD televisions. And with more companies integrating cloud computing, they are finding that service is more reliable, less expensive and faster. So, as Les Thomas says, "Gaming needs to be a worldwide affair, no matter the discrepancies in standard. Cloud is the most viable choice for developing nations."

Gamers, is it time to put your XBox360s, PS3s, Nintendo Wiis in storage and look to the cloud? What do you think of cloud computing? Do you subscribe to a gaming service? Give us your thoughts below.