Google Stadia

[Scarlett.]

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[Tom4784]

I can't see it working out for them, the console market is pretty much on lock between Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft and any new consoles will be too far on the backfoot to catch up.

[Toy Soldier]

My guess would be some sort of cloud-based gaming platform but tbh the vast majority of connections (even 50mb+ fibre) are just not ready for it to work well yet. :shrug:

[daniel-lewis-1985]

I cant see them breaking into a market that already has fan bases firmly planted with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. Those people are invested in their current consoles and probably cant afford to spend what will probably be £400 on a new console then hundreds to create a new gaming library and whole online profile to play with other gamers when the community isnt even established with Google in that market yet. They won't just be dropping a surprise console it would be heavily advertised and promoted to make sure they get interest before launching

To me it just looks like they are launching some new kind of VR experience system?

[Toy Soldier]

I cant see them breaking into a market that already has fan bases firmly planted with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. Those people are invested in their current consoles and probably cant afford to spend what will probably be £400 on a new console then hundreds to create a new gaming library and whole online profile to play with other gamers when the community isnt even established with Google in that market yet. They won't just be dropping a surprise console it would be heavily advertised and promoted to make sure they get interest before launching

To me it just looks like they are launching some new kind of VR experience system?

Yeah I can't see it being a new console when consoles in their traditional form general probably only have a few generations left, and Playstation and Xbox obviously dominate the industry (with Nintendo having carved out its own little niche in portable / party gaming).

VR is a possibility but I do also think it might be game streaming in the vein of PSNow, but with the power of Google's massive server farms behind it, which would theoretically allow for processing speeds and graphics at the absolute peak of current PC technology - but able to be played on a small cheap device (or even a subscription service on existing devices?).

Like I said though I don't think net infrastructure is QUITE there yet. PSNow works "OK" but the latency is very noticeable on action-intense games even when it's just a couple of milliseconds, and no amount of tech can compensate for that, it's purely down to the connection. Even PS4 Remote Play across a LAN has (for me) noticeable lag... e.g. it was 100% fine for playing Persona 5, but it made Spider-man unplayable as it was impossible to time the dodges and counters.

[Mystic Mock]

I'll definitely consider getting this.

[Scarlett.]

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[Scarlett.]

Basically its the ability to stream a game via Stadia without needing expensive hardware ect.


It sounds nice, but I dunno, I don't think the majority have the connection for Stadia to work

[Scarlett.]

Contrary to the idea they were pushing...
Stadia isnt Netflix for games (https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/295352-google-holds-ama-says-stadia-isnt-netflix-for-games)

[Toy Soldier]

Controller latency simply means that game streaming doesn't work well. It doesn't even work well across gigabit LAN with close to zero latency. It's not like video or music streaming... Even the most miniscule of buffers that a "layperson" might not even notice, someone who has been gaming for years will "feel" instantly. It feels unresponsive and sluggish. This won't be any different because connection speeds mean there is NO WAY for it to be different, no matter what the tech is on their end.

To be honest I can't see 100% cloud based games working at any time in the near future, even as connection technology increases. There's always going to be that almost imperceptible data transfer delay that in fast paced games makes all the difference.

"Cloud power" for things like complex AI and physics processing? Yes, I can definitely see that becoming a thing, and it has the potential to be amazing. Imagine going up against realistic AI enemies! Or I can even imagine in the not too distant future, AI NPC's you can converse naturally with, which would be a game changer. And the latency wouldn't be an issue as it'd only mimic real human reaction times. But all of the direct input processing simply has to happen at a local hardware level for responsiveness.

[James]

I've been trying out Xbox Cloud Gaming, because I have been playing through the Halo games, and Halo 5 isn't out on PC - I got a new £1, 3 month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, using another e-mail address. :hee:

So far I'm fairly impressed with it, the games load up quickly, and you don't have to install them. There are games I can run that were borderline with my PC.

The controller lag doesn't seem too bad, but I'd have to run the same game on my PC to tell the difference.

[James]

Google closing Stadia in January.


Google to close Stadia cloud service and refund gamers
By Tom Gerken
Technology team

Published
2 hours ago

Google has announced plans to shut down its Stadia cloud gaming service and refund players.

Stadia was touted as a "Netflix for games" when it launched in November 2019, allowing players to stream games online without owning a console.

But the service will now come to an end on 18 January 2023 because of a lack of "traction" with gamers.

Google has promised refunds to players who purchased its Stadia controller, as well as any games or add-on content.

It said it estimates those refunds will be completed by mid-January.



Stadia games run on servers at Google data centres around the world, with the video footage streamed to a TV or mobile device.

Phil Harrison, vice-president and general manager of Stadia, said in a blog post: "A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia.

"And while Stadia's approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected so we've made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service."


Analysis box by Zoe Kleinman, technology editor
Google is pretty ruthless about culling products that don't work out - head to the website Killed by Google and you can immerse yourself in a long list of dearly departed Google brands (many of which you've probably never heard of).

Stadia launched to great fanfare in 2019 and was clearly Google's attempt to muscle in on the lucrative gaming market.

Stadia went beyond simply streaming games and even came with its own bespoke hardware.

But taking on the games giants is tough - even when you're a giant in your own right. What works for Xbox and PlayStation is difficult to replicate when their customers have already shelled out on consoles and subscriptions - and the firms behind them, Microsoft and Sony, have lucrative deals in place with the world's biggest games publishers.

It's perhaps no huge surprise that Phil Harrison said Stadia hadn't "gained the traction" that Google anticipated - marketing speak for "not enough bums on seats".


Google's decision comes as Netflix announced a more traditional move into the gaming market - establishing a studio to make games.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-63082320

[bots]

interesting that Netflix are pushing their gaming again today

[Mystic Mock]

Personally I don't want everything connected to the Internet anyway.

I actually think that classic TV Shows in general are better than Streaming Shows when both were at their peak.

And in this case Games are at their best in a Console format or traditional PC Gaming imo.

Speaking for myself I'd be way more interested in a traditional Google Console to take on PlayStation than the Stadia idea.

Thinking back on it I only would've bought a Google Stadia if I was having a **** ton of cash to spend.