Stadia, Google Game Streaming platform [2019-2021]

Essentially in 2020:

Stream older titles for free at 1080p60 on all supported devices
Stream older titles at 4k60 for 12 bucks a month
Stream brand new titles at full price


In 2019, it will be limited to Chromecast Ultra and 12 bucks a month.
 
Well that makes more sense I guess. Similar to how Origin Vault works, looks like they're basing it on that model. Not sure about paying full price for a game that is likely going to be a worse experience than playing locally.
 
Sigh, leak is from Canada.

12 Canadian bucks is less than $10 USD, which probably means 8€ here in EU. That's much more affordable than I originally though.

Well that makes more sense I guess. Similar to how Origin Vault works, looks like they're basing it on that model. Not sure about paying full price for a game that is likely going to be a worse experience than playing locally.
Not everyone can play Doom Eternal at 4K60 locally [on a wide range of supported stadia hardware, including 5+ year old PCs/Latops, standalone TVs...]
 
So it's actually a free library of 1080p30 next year, $12per month 4k60 for andthat library and added paid games? Seems alright-ish I suppose.

I'm not sure quite who'd pay for a full price game on a Google service. The chance of Google getting bored with Stadia are pretty high. :D
 
I think the backlash is that's both & not one or the other. On other platforms you buy the game once & you can use it on any device with no subscription needed. If you stream like on PSNow you pay just a subscription fee(that even includes multiplayer for free). Decide you want to own the game outside of the streaming service? Just purchase it & you no longer need need the subscription. With Stadia there's no option for that. You purchase the game you don't get an offline copy. So why purchase?

Tommy McClain
 
I think the backlash is that's both & not one or the other.
Yeah that's not right. So if you're not paying a subscription, your full game you purchased for $60 is limited to 1080p30? Or can't play at all?

Free library 1080p30 for older titles? It's google so I'm assuming there's ads. Unlike a video, you can't really interrupt the game during to inject an ad. Maybe games will need to support in-game billboards? Searched for mowers recently? Here's some mower ad placements as your sail in AC: Odyssey!
 
Apparently, a batch of older games will be free but newest games will require purchase. Next year, free access for those "free" games will be unlocked, but stream will be limited to 1080p.

IMO, this sounds mostly reasonable [if game pricing is not crazy high]. Streaming can't be for free, not everything can be inside some cheap monthly/yearly sub, and publishers of new games LIKE MONEY.

But what happens if you cancel the subscription? You lose access to the games you bought individually?? It makes no sense, unless you can download an offline version after cancelling the service...
 
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Presentation is over, it's much simpler than I expected.

You play what you purchase, at up to 1080p60 HDR [~20Mbits]. No time or device restrictions. If you pay for monthly $10 Pro subscription, you get "regular" free games [like in PS+ Instant Game Collection] and unlocked access to 4K60 HDR streaming [~35Mbits]. First free Pro game is Destiny 2 Collection [everything, including all from 2019 [shadowkeep + new annual pass].

That's it.

They announced support for many games - Baldurs Gate 3, Division 2, Ghost Recon, MK11, GRID, Metro Exodus, Rage, and many others....

They are launching this year on all supported devices [TVs with Chromecast Ultra, PC/laptops/tablets with Chrome browser, Chromebooks and Pixel 3 phones, more to come in 2020].
 
Ars article: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019...-130-upfront-10-per-month-at-november-launch/

Google Stadia requires $130 upfront, $10 per month at November launch
Package includes Destiny 2 among freebies but needs a la carte game purchases.

Players will have to pay $129.99 up front and $9.99 a month, on top of individual game purchase costs, when Google's previously announced Stadia game-streaming service launches in November. A free tier will be available some time in 2020, as will a paid subscription tier that doesn't require the upfront purchase.

The Stadia Founder's Edition and its contingent Stadia Pro subscription will be the only way to get access to the Stadia service when it launches, Google announced today. That $129.99 package, available for pre-order on the Google Store right now, will include:

  • A Stadia controller in "limited-edition night blue"
  • A Chromecast Ultra
  • Three months of Stadia Pro service and a three-month "buddy pass" to give to a friend
  • First dibs on claiming a "Stadia Name"

STADIA LAUNCH WINDOW GAMES/PUBLISHERS
Announced as of June 6, here are the titles early Stadia users can expect:
  • Bandai Namco: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
  • Bethesda: Doom Eternal+, Doom(2016), Rage 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood+
  • Bungie: Destiny 2
  • Capcom*
  • Coatsink: Get Packed+
  • Codemasters: GRID
  • Deep Silver: Metro Exodus
  • Drool: Thumper
  • Electronic Arts*
  • Giants Software: Farming Simulator 19
  • Larian Studios: Baldur’s Gate III+
  • nWay Games: Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
  • Rockstar*
  • Sega: Football Manager
  • SNK: Samurai Shodown+
  • Square Enix: Final Fantasy XV, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • 2K: NBA 2K, Borderlands 3+
  • Tequila Works: Gylt+
  • Warner Bros: Mortal Kombat 11
  • THQ: Darksiders: Genesis+
  • Ubisoft: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint+, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Trials Rising, The Crew 2
* - No specific games announced yet
+ - Games not yet launched on any platform.
 
Ars article: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019...-130-upfront-10-per-month-at-november-launch/

Google Stadia requires $130 upfront, $10 per month at November launch
Package includes Destiny 2 among freebies but needs a la carte game purchases.

Players will have to pay $129.99 up front and $9.99 a month, on top of individual game purchase costs, when Google's previously announced Stadia game-streaming service launches in November. A free tier will be available some time in 2020, as will a paid subscription tier that doesn't require the upfront purchase.

The Stadia Founder's Edition and its contingent Stadia Pro subscription will be the only way to get access to the Stadia service when it launches, Google announced today. That $129.99 package, available for pre-order on the Google Store right now, will include:

  • A Stadia controller in "limited-edition night blue"
  • A Chromecast Ultra
  • Three months of Stadia Pro service and a three-month "buddy pass" to give to a friend
  • First dibs on claiming a "Stadia Name"

STADIA LAUNCH WINDOW GAMES/PUBLISHERS
Announced as of June 6, here are the titles early Stadia users can expect:
  • Bandai Namco: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
  • Bethesda: Doom Eternal+, Doom(2016), Rage 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood+
  • Bungie: Destiny 2
  • Capcom*
  • Coatsink: Get Packed+
  • Codemasters: GRID
  • Deep Silver: Metro Exodus
  • Drool: Thumper
  • Electronic Arts*
  • Giants Software: Farming Simulator 19
  • Larian Studios: Baldur’s Gate III+
  • nWay Games: Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
  • Rockstar*
  • Sega: Football Manager
  • SNK: Samurai Shodown+
  • Square Enix: Final Fantasy XV, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • 2K: NBA 2K, Borderlands 3+
  • Tequila Works: Gylt+
  • Warner Bros: Mortal Kombat 11
  • THQ: Darksiders: Genesis+
  • Ubisoft: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint+, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Trials Rising, The Crew 2
* - No specific games announced yet
+ - Games not yet launched on any platform.

So according to that there will be no free game library outside of the paid subscription service. Those will be limited to older titles.

Games have to be purchased at full price, but the subscription service can offer discounts.

For the free service in 2020, you'll have to pay full price for all the games you want to play except games that are F2P. F2P games aren't available yet but will come at some point in the future. I guess they need to negotiate a share of the micro-transactions.

Oh and I just noticed. Phil Harrison is in charge of this. The Phil Harrison that was key in driving Xbox into the ground because he passionately believed that games should follow a F2P model or games as a service model.

I wonder then if games developed by Google for Stadia will be F2P or games as a service?

Regards,
SB
 
I just don't see how "the play on any screen" is a big deal. I'm pretty sure the next Xbox or Playstation will be able to stream to any screen. The only difference being that the data center is in your own house. I do suspect that Stadia and whatever other streaming service you use will be better outside your own network if you live close to a data centre but for screens around the home next gen should have you covered.
 
I just don't see how "the play on any screen" is a big deal. I'm pretty sure the next Xbox or Playstation will be able to stream to any screen. The only difference being that the data center is in your own house. I do suspect that Stadia and whatever other streaming service you use will be better outside your own network if you live close to a data centre but for screens around the home next gen should have you covered.
don't need a console. Play anywhere. Very little upfront costs, and easy to dive into and out of without boot up. Don't need to worry about upgrading. Etc
tldr; very low barrier for entry
 
Test to check if your connection is capable for Stadia.

https://projectstream.google.com/speedtest

My result (my actual connection's speed is 20-25MBs):

Not suitable.

Your connection isn’t ready for Stadia yet.
Your download speed of 6.642 Mbps is below the 10 Mbps we recommend to stream games on Stadia. Improve your Internet connection and then check it again.
 
don't need a console. Play anywhere. Very little upfront costs, and easy to dive into and out of without boot up. Don't need to worry about upgrading. Etc
tldr; very low barrier for entry

If you live in the right place and have uncapped fibre otherwise not so much. Also with the talk of ssd on next gen consoles boot up is not really going to be an issue.
 
If you live in the right place and have uncapped fibre otherwise not so much. Also with the talk of ssd on next gen consoles boot up is not really going to be an issue.
Correct.

A number that will continue to improve over time, as the bandwidth requirements will stay the same, but the speeds and data caps will improve over time.
There are 2 billion mobile devices, a small penetration of that market is already significant.
 
The problem is are they going to have any exclusives? We know Microsoft is going to have all the big third party games and there own first party games on there service. So unless Stadia works better than Xcloud I don't see the point of choosing them over Microsofts service.
 
OK the official details sound a little better. Basically like we got now. You buy your games & play them. If you get the subscription it's like Xbox Game Pass but without the day-and-date 1st party titles. The free titles you can play as long you have the service but you can get a discount if you purchase them. Also sounds like Destiny 2 maybe the only title in the Pro subscription at start? The Founder's Pack has decent value($65 Chromecast + $65 controller) & you get 3 months of the Pro service for free & another for your friend. Will be interesting in how they handle the physical pack next year when the free service comes online. You won't get the special edition controller & will it still come with 3-months of the Pro service for you & your friend?

BTW I like how they provide a speed test to determine if Stadia is for you & what your experience will be.

They give any details on the all the controller's buttons? Looks like it might have a headset jack. Will the controller work for any other devices/games besides Stadia?

Tommy McClain
 
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