Google's Stadia...Thoughts?
 

So I'm going to leave this here. Don't really know how I feel about this. Maybe a push to be the first option in the next 10 years? Idk.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comme...a_from_google/

There are already established players in this space - I assume Google is coming in to refine and provide an alternative via their dedicated servers. Interesting. The tech still has a way to go to be both relevant and consistent. Exciting nonetheless!

Trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist...

The infrastructure isn't there for it...way too soon.

I don't buy a lot of what they were saying.

I'm already sick of hearing about it.

The game sites are evidently getting paid by Google to hype it because they're talking about it EVERYWHERE.

And of course on social media, those articles are immediately followed by 1000's of posts complaining about bandwidth caps and Comcast.

Can I play Minecraft on my SmartFridge?

LMAO

ROFL

The idea is cool, but I'm highly skeptical it'll be a nice, fluid experience. Guess we'll see.

So, in the grand scheme of things, do you think the whole "streaming video games" thing is the way we're headed? Some seem to be sold on the idea that it's the new wave, thanks to burgeoning technology. Thoughts?

Seems logical. People thought Netflix was crazy for abandoning discs and going full speed into streaming video. I don't see any major reason why video games wouldn't go the same route.

It's a question of "when" rather than "if" to me.

You joking here? Nobody buys hard copy games anymore.

This means 100,,% of your games rely on an internet connection. No thanks.

As opposed to hard media that get's scratched and worn out?

I do. In fact, I ONLY buy hard copy games. I've been burned by DRM and I prefer to be able to play my games when I want, not when the publisher decides I can.

Or digital downloads that get disabled because companies changed hands and don't want to honor your purchase anymore?

I've never had an issue with physical media. If it gets worn out, I buy a new one at GameStop and it comes with a guarantee. I can always just take it back, which you can't do with a digital download.

You...go to stores? How quaint. :D

No, I do digital now. But at least with digital it is on your console regardless of connection. Most single player games can be played. Streaming absolutely nothing can be played without a connection.

I used to worry about that as well but digital is much more mainstream now. I'm really not concerned about being burned with it at this point. I do still get hard copies but anything that is multiplayer in PS4 I get digital so the game can be played on two consoles at the same time. Two copies for the price of one rocks.

Keep in mind that even hard copies can be shut down if the dev wants it. Unless you never connect to the internet

It's not that I worry about it, it's that I've actually had it happen to me.

I buy games and music on discs, period. I don't like digital downloads at all, that's just my preference.

Hear you. I'm opposite, have spent $$$ on hard copy that got scratched and ruined. House rule now is it's soft copy. Haven't been to Game Stop in years.

GameStop is such a joke. $5 of for a used copy? Sorry I'll spend the extra $5 so the devs get the money and not that crap organization.

Yeah though back in the day they were relevant for us. Steam (Valve) rules the show. PS subscription is cheap. Xbox sub too.

Can someone explain what this is?

Video games where the main processing happens in the cloud. You buy a controller and some sort of device (Roku, Chromecast, etc.),but that's it.

No way the U.S. Internet infrastructure can support this. Not to mention, even if everybody had a wire in their house that sent information at lightspeed, your ISP would throttle you anyways and make you pay through the nose: they already do that for your video streaming so what makes Google or anyone think they're going to let people eat up bandwidth to play video games? So you'll end up paying more for your Internet than if you simply bought the hardcopy.

This is one of my big fears with every one starting to cut the TV cord. ISP companies are going to start inflating rates to where all the bills you just cut just move under another umbrella.

I've literally never had a game get scratched. I take care of my games. My kids don't play games, so I've never had to worry about them.

There are games you can't buy new anymore. Besides Gamestop does a ton to support the industry, including being a partner in GameInformer, which is like a marketing arm for several developers.

Certainly not a joke.

By the way, I decided to play a bunch of remasters on PS4 that I never fully finished on PS3. I bought them used at GameStop and then paid for DLC. So the devs still got my money.

yes and no. They got money for DLC and they got money for the ps3 copy but didn't get anything from the upscaling work they did on your ps4 remaster.

I'm not trying to do a holier than thou deal here by any means, I just don't support gamestops business practice. Now maybe if they offered more than just 5 bucks off the cost of a new disc, I'd be more interested. $10 to $15 off would entice me to go back.

Also, I know an argument can be made that you get much better discounts on older games. But in my case, if I didn't buy the game when it came out, I'll probably never buy it anyway because I didn't find it interesting in the first place. If there is one place I would purchase an old game its sports games. But I suck at those. :)

I hardly ever buy games when they come out because so many games are buggy nowadays. I usually wait 6 months to a year on AAA games just to make sure they're not bug-riddled crap.

And I get it. I buy new games when they're available. But they aren't always available and that's where buying used is a big plus. I also trade in a ton of games - I'm a Gamestop member and get discounts on just about everything there.

Quite frankly, I don't really have anywhere else to buy games locally other than Walmart and well, I have a problem with THEIR business practices. ;)

My big games are Destiny and Division so I pretty much have to get in on those as soon as they come out or I'm way behind my friends. Most other games I just wait for a price drop. I'm big on Tomb Raider so as soon as those games see a 50% drop I grab them.

Yeah, I play almost exclusively single player games, so waiting almost always works out for the best. For example, I was one of the few that actually enjoyed AC Unity because it had been fully patched by the time I played it.

So basically you can play the games whenever on multiple devices but you don't actually own the games? Maybe if the gaming industry crashes this actually might be what replaces it.

I would imagine there is still some sort of purchase for each game. Especially AAA type titles. Thats how Onlive worked anyway.

Well what I meant was that Google could just block certain games if they wanted and then what options do you have?

I don't trust Google to actually stick with it. They abandon nearly everything they start.

Yep, way to early. Tech and bandwidth still need more time to evolve to make this vision viable.

Yep. Ultimately, this will lead to the same fragmentation that is being experienced in the streaming movie/TV industry, where you have to have multiple subscriptions to get all the content you really want.

Today, there's very few exclusive titles driving a person to own an Xbox, PS4, AND a PC. Just like there used to be little reason to have Netflix, Hulu, AND Amazon. With the rise of exclusive content and the entry of players like Disney, that's over.

If streamed games take over, people will eventually be forced to multiple streaming providers. There's a reason Google and others are pushing this - they WANT people to cut the cord.

Are all large companies just inherently evil or is the business model of profit the issue here?

It depends on whether you believe maximizing profit is inherently evil. :D

ROFL That's a tough call to make. I suppose no one is forcing anyone to buy or use their products so I suppose it's not evil when they use everything they can get away with to get your money.

The claim there will be no lag with this. Good luck with that.

In a vacuum sure they can claim whatever they want. They'll blame the consumers lack of quality products if there is any lag. But they have a video/presentation out. Here it is:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k-BbW6zAjL0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The biggest problem is bandwidth caps. You will burn through a 1 terabyte cap in 65 to 100 hours.

Yeah that's what I heard. This just isn't practical right now. Might not ever be.

I remember the online streaming version of the Sega Genesis. I could only get clay fighters to work.

I still buy hard copies. Because if I don't like it right away I get 95percent of my money back.

But eventually digital or streaming only will be the way. You don't own it. Just a license to play.

Scary...:eek:

It is. But, at the same time, the average player is done with a game long before the developer/publisher stop supporting it. Not saying I agree because I'm one of the players that hold on to great games for a long, long time.

Holy shit!

At Google Stadia's recommended speed for 4K, you'd use 1TB in 65 hours.

https://i.imgur.com/wxMIrrD.png

https://arstechnica.com/information-...rnet-data-cap/

ummmm

:D

shit would just destroy my data cap! haha

I love the idea of Stadia but this is definitely not ready for prime time yet. The thought of getting PC level performance without a PC would be wonderful. Lag and bandwidth will kill this quickly.

There is also the problem if Google decides its not profitable and kills it. Any games you purchased are instantly gone.

I'd like to be able to play Destiny 2 on PC but I don't want to fork out the money needed to get a PC that can play it. While my PS4 is slow loading on menus, it plays the game just fine. But damn those ****ing menus are slow.

LOL... sorry, my bad.

just buy them in sections, thats what i first did. So now i just upgrade sections as needed and its a bit easier to do it that way!

I've got a bunch of gamestop credit to burn. Almost tempted to just use it on this.

https://www.gamestop.com/pc/pc-hardw...omputer/159557

Data Caps are evil and should be outlawed.

I am thankful that so far Google Fiber has avoided them.

The gpu on that rig is way low range, in case you didn't already know that. Tell Q to come up with some better recommendations for you.

Yeah I did some checking and that thing is bare minimum. Reminds me why I got out of the PC gaming habit.

Yeah, that PC is a turd. You can do much better than that at that price point. I realize you have Gamestop credit to burn, but I think you could find much better uses than that.

You can find decent gaming rigs in that price point though. Otter just got one I think, you could ask him. (I don't know what Gamestop has available).

It's too bad I can't convert them to cash to spend elsewhere. Most of the conversion sites won't accept them because the are egift cards

Well.... Gamespot probably give about tree fiddy......

Worst case, I get another PS4 pro.

I'd get an Xbox one x if the free to play games didn't need gold to play. On the PS4 free to play games don't require PS plus.