AMD to Smack Down Game Cheaters

Yesterday we reported on AMD's Fusion cloud computing system, where AMD will develop a super computer able to handle rendering, compression, and streaming of video game graphic serveside and push out to gamers on any device. The concept behind the technology is nothing short of exciting.

Naturally, delivery of that technology is something of another topic. However, one interesting side effect of AMD's Fusion concept, is that it will inherently thwart gamers from cheating. Just exactly how is this done? Simply put, gamers will be unable to use cheat hacks or software to influence game play because everything is processed and rendered server side--on the cloud.

When a gamer uses cheat tools to cheat in a game, the tool modifies memory address locations and changes values. For example, a small cheat tool can locate the memory address location where a game stores ammo data, modify the value stored there, giving the user infinite ammo. Other more sophisticated cheats like bots, will also be thwarted. Bots perform a very similar action, reading memory and feedback from the game on the local side, and responding accordingly to automate tasks such as gold farming in World of Warcraft.

Because of the way the Fusion super computer will work, all game data is processed server side, and the only thing being sent to the user is streaming video. There's no actual data value in the local system's memory, since there's no real local client. In essence, a gamer will be controlling the game through a remote-control like interface.

Could this be the end of cheaters? We think not. But, will AMD's Fusion super computer cloud be the target of endless hack attacks? Time will tell. Do you cheat in games when you play? Or do you play by the rules?