Google has just announced its video game platform in the cloud, which is called the Stadia. The announcement was made in its presentation at GDC 2019 live. At first, the company remembered Project Stream and its partnership with Ubisoft commenting that this was the first step to be able to broadcast high tech games and expand its catalog of games and then went on to reveal details of the novelty.
How does it work?
While it does not reveal whether the service will be subscription-based or how it will be paid, you can basically access state-of-the-art games over the internet without the need for a high-performance computer with just a great internet connection.
The biggest difference of the Stadia, which was the main highlight in the event, is the possibility of accessing the game without a long waiting time and without needing a supercomputer since all processing is done in the datacenters of the technology giant.
One example is- imagine that you are watching a video of a game on YouTube, Assassin’s Creed in the example used, and at the end of the video you see a “play now” button. Clicking to play, with 5 seconds of loading, in theory, you can already access the game. With this, Google says you can play almost instantly, without needing a time-consuming download.
Multi-screen access
In addition, the company also said that you can use the service on several screens, such as smartphones, notebooks, and even on televisions with a Chromecast. Another point highlighted is the possibility of switching between the devices without much time of exchange between each of them. With an account, you can switch between used gadgets and automatically pause the game and continue from where you left off.
A control made for Stadia
Thinking of a complete solution, a specific control was also made for the platform. The demonstrated control connects directly to the internet, allowing you to automatically detect where you are playing and allows you to switch screens more easily.
The control still brings a sharing button to YouTube for anyone who wants to share their game with others, not only to broadcast but also to create an open match. The idea is to increase YouTube’s interactivity and participation in games, allowing people who are watching to enter the game. This functionality was called Crowd Play.
Still, on the control, it brings a button dedicated to Google Assistant, allowing you to use the microphone built into the gamepad. No details were given if that same microphone could be used to talk to other players, but that would not be a bad idea. Google Assistant can also be used to solve some of the broken pieces that the player is passing through and does not know how to solve them.
And the quality of the connection?
You’re probably wondering, and the image quality of the gameplay? The Stadia is being programmed to broadcast at 4k60fps and also be able to stream directly to YouTube in that same quality. According to Google, the structure of the company’s data centers will ensure this operation without major problems.
We had already seen the Assassin’s Creed from Ubisoft partner, and now Google has shown that DOOM Eternal will also be one of the other games in the catalog, which can be run in 4K HDR and 60fps.
Google also explained that multiplayer will be synchronized with the Google system and that this will help to have more precision in the game, without any player ending up harming the connection because it has a worse connection quality. In addition, the Stadia is being thought to have crossplay.
Catalog and release date
The only games demonstrated so far were Assassin’s Creed and DOOM Eternal, the platform will be released later this year but there are no details of how the service will be signed.
To work on a gaming catalog, the company has also partnered with Unreal Engine and Unity, the two biggest graphics engines today and created Stadia Games and Entertainment, its game development studio. Thus, we should see the first games made from the start for the Stadia in the coming years.
