Cloud computing isn’t the mystical magic power that some make it out to be. It’s not going to make your games suddenly look better, or in the case of Sim City, play better. It will, however, be beneficial to the gaming experience in some unique ways.

Ever since the Xbox One was announced, Microsoft has touted how cloud computing would enhance the gaming experience on its next-gen console. Now it’s finally explaining what that means in its latest interview with Dan Greenawalt, creative director at Forza Motorsport 5 developer Turn 10 Studios.

Greenawalt says that cloud computing brings big data to gaming. So, what does that mean exactly? In Forza, he says that a player’s drivatar will be based upon their performance, and other players will race against AI opponents that will drive like you.

As for other games, Greenawalt says that the same kind of big data can be using in pretty much any genre. The game can learn how others play and provide even better AI based upon those real players. Just imagine a single-player shooter where the AI enemies use formations and tactics used by human players in the multiplayer mode. It’s pretty exciting to think about.

Of course, all of this is only being talked about for now without actually showing it in action. We’ll find out in November (maybe November 8?) how this all works.

[Image: xbox/YouTube]