If you’re a gamer, it’s likely that you’ve been hearing about Google forthcoming Stadia service for a while. Stadia proposes to be to gaming what Netflix is for many viewers: Stadia will make games available through its streaming-only platform. There’s been a good deal of hype, of course…but does it measure up? The short answer is “yes, probably”…but, of course, the longer answer is a much more mixed bag.
- Review: Google Stadia [Wired] ” Limited launch functionality. Lag is a major issue, especially in fighting and shooting games. No game ownership. Google tends to abandon ambitious projects very easily. Limited access until February 2020. “
- Why Google Stadia is a ‘leap forward’ for gaming, according to its boss [BBC News] ” ‘I don’t claim that this innovation is going to change the world overnight,’ he adds. ‘But I think this is the direction of travel and that this will be a very strong future for the games industry to create these kind of streaming experiences. We’re not the only ones thinking about this.’ “
- Stadia launch dev: Game makers are worried “Google is just going to cancel it” [Ars Technica] ” ‘The biggest complaint most developers have with Stadia is the fear that Google is just going to cancel it,’ Gwen Frey, developer of Stadia launch puzzle game Kine, told GamesIndustry.biz in recently published comments. ‘Nobody ever says, ‘Oh, it’s not going to work,’ or ‘Streaming isn’t the future.’ Everyone accepts that streaming is pretty much inevitable. The biggest concern with Stadia is that it might not exist.’ “
- Google Stadia is just for early adopters now, but it has so much promise [Mashable] “The streaming service that Google’s been pitching since March — think Netflix, but for games — is meant to go toe-to-toe with the PlayStations and Xboxes of the world, but on the eve of its Nov. 19 launch, it’s simply not ready. “
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Google’s play-anywhere Stadia game service gets a Founder’s Edition bundle, pricing, and more ( DINGMAN, H. (2019). Google’s play-anywhere Stadia game service gets a Founder’s Edition bundle, pricing, and more. PCWorld, 37(7), 26–28. )
- Google’s Stadia service could shatter the barriers of Mac gaming ( JOHNSON, L. (2019). Google’s Stadia service could shatter the barriers of Mac gaming. Macworld – Digital Edition, 36(5), 16–19. )
- Stadia, Google’s Big Push Into Video Games, Could Change Everything About How We Play ( Francisco, P. A. C. / S. (2019). Stadia, Google’s Big Push Into Video Games, Could Change Everything About How We Play. Time.Com, N.PAG. )
