Google Stadia: Onlive 2.0 (Official Thread)

[Team Andromeda]

Add to that the cost: I've seen estimates that Google is spending $600 per GPU in their GPU farms (double the cost of a home console), and they basically need to be able to support every user at once in a given region because most people are likely to log in to play at the same time (evening). Because latency will be a very real issue here, they can't just connect users to servers across the country that are seeing less use at that time.

And more cost: They have to pay significant numbers of staff to keep the data centers running efficiently and do support ("My game's lagging!"), and also have to power all of those GPU farms.

Its Google, they have more money in the bank that most countries. If they can get anywhere near what they promise (and its a BIG if) this could be massive, to both the core and casual gamer. No more wires, no more loading times, no more changing discs but the ability to play any game close to top end settings on almost any TV in one's house or any TV, anywhere with a half decent internet connection and all as easy as using YouTube.

This 'could' be night and day massive. The only good thing is this really means SONY and Microsoft must up their game and the next gen consoles, well and truly have to be something extra special and really go to down on the tech spec's and giving their teams huge funds to make the best games around. Here's hoping MS really starts the fight at E3

[Gryson]

I'm sure they've thought it through, but the very high cost associated does increase the risk that they bail on it if it isn't as profitable as they want. Granted, since it's Google we're talking about, I'm sure they have a plan to monetize user data and serve up plenty of ads.

[Team Andromeda]

I'm sure they've thought it through, but the very high cost associated does increase the risk that they bail on it if it isn't as profitable as they want. Granted, since it's Google we're talking about, I'm sure they have a plan to monetize user data and serve up plenty of ads.

Sure, but if this works and suddenly all any gamer needs are the Internet and Youtube this could be massive and Google would make a fortune from developer fee's alone. The tech spec is something off the chart that puts some High end gaming PC's to shame.
Sure usually... I would laugh and say its never going to work or happen. This is google mind, with both the money and infrastructure, to make it work.

One needs to see what its like out in the wild mine. But If I was MS and SONY I'll be doubling up on the tech spec right now

[Leynos]

The lag on this thing is HORRIBLE ROFL! https://twitter.com/Venumidas/status...71616636993536

[Da_Shocker]

https://fiber.google.com/ourcities/

Does anyone actually have it? It was suppose to come to my city in 2013 and it has been an extremely slow and sporadic rollout. None of my previous addresses have it.

[gamevet]

I've had Verizon Fios (Now Frontier) at my house for more than 5 years now.

[Leynos]

https://fiber.google.com/ourcities/

Does anyone actually have it? It was supposed to come to my city in 2013 and it has been an extremely slow and sporadic rollout. None of my previous addresses have it.

I have Google Fiber. I never had a problem but where my mom lives the entire area has blackouts 2-3 times a month and they seemingly finally fixed it after months of frustration. Where I live I have had no issues really. Flat $50 no tax a month for 100 up and 100 down and the signal had been strong enough on Wifi my PC gets all 100. Roku 4 gets about 70 and Switch stays about 60.

[maxi]

Digital Foundry:

[Leynos]

[Ecco]

I just saw the first ad for Stadia that has come up for me naturally IIRC.

I get it that they're trying something new but yeah I still think this is an impossible idea.

Just think of how often there's a problem with internet connection.

Or maybe some folks just always have an awesome internet connection.

Lately our iPhones have been cutting out because of switching towers to 5G apparently...

Anyway I just can't imagine it working because it will always definitely have more problems than a console... right??

[Yharnamresident]

I want absolutely nothing to do with this.

The thing is, I prefer physical media the most, where you have the game on disc. I don't like digital copies, where its only stored on your HDD.

But even digital copies are still a quantum leap over game streaming. With game streaming, you don't even own the game, the game is located on some server 50 KM away from you and you have to use a key to play it. This is an extreme form of DRM.


You know, all these companies interested in getting into gaming, I really wish they'd stop creating these micro-consoles and streaming-boxes, and actually create a traditional console thats supposed to compete head-to-head with PS4 and Xbone. They always create these niche-market consoles because its a way to get into gaming without directly competing with Sony and Microsoft.

[GameUser-16-32-128]

Google isn't in it to make money off of games, they just want everyone's personal data and sell it to the highest bidder.

[Ecco]

Lately I'm seeing more and more ads for Stadia, while I'm watching various vids on YouTube.

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. The games they keep showing, just seem... boring to me. Sure the 3D graphics look super-sharp, hi-res, etc.

But still, I find it all boring. It's just more run-of-the-mill 3D shooters and whatever.

It's boring to me the same way that I find modern Hollywood 3D movies boring usually.

(What I find appealing is hand-drawn artwork, which is appealing forever, imo.)


2. The whole concept of Stadia is still... impossible, lol. As far as I can imagine it.

Like just imagine that your videogame playing is dependent on your internet connection, lol. That would be awful.

That would mean that your gameplay would end immediately if/when your web connection cut out.

And that can happen for countless different reasons!

So imagine ur playing some intense game, and it freezes / stops, because your computer's wi-fi settings are suddenly glitching out.

Or how about ur game stops because ur family (or housemates, etc.) didn't pay for the current month's of internet service, and so ur house's internet service suddenly ends, when ur fighting the final boss of your game, or something lol.

Or how about losing web connection because of such a lame reason as the weather, with the clouds and storms interrupting your connection.



3. ALSO the idea of the game being completely streamed, is impossible for things like the CONTROLS.

For example, even if the game content is streamed (like the environments, stages, etc.): Even then, the controls would still need some kind of gameplay engine to be downloaded onto your computer, to run the control inputs.

I think that must be the case.

Otherwise, the idea of the controls actually interacting in real-time, with the damn server, for every button press, is absurd and impossible.

If THAT was the case, then the damn controls would break every time the web connection cuts out or lags.

So imagine your character loses control everytime a stormcloud passes over your house, or something lol!!

So obviously, such live input, to the Stadia, would still require some gameplay engine and software etc. to be downloaded and running live, on the person's computer, I believe. It's the ONLY way that the controls and inputs of your character would remain reliable. Because even if the web cuts out, and maybe u can't enter a new location or something, u would still want to be able to move ur character around, in the area you're already in.

...For that matter, your current location would seem like it would need to be downloaded as well, and running live. As the only way for the environments of a game to remain running reliably, regardless of brief cuts in web connection.

So for example, if your web cuts out from a storm, or from your house's bill not being paid: you'd sure want to keep being able to move around the location that you're already in, at the very least!



Anyway, the whole idea is impossible.

Unless, like I said, someone has such an amazingly strong internet connection, that NEVER loses connection, for any reason, whatsoever.





4. Also, Stadia, the company, is advertising that gaming "boxes" are "obsolete."

So it's trying to be futuristic, but that whole concept is not appealing, fundamentally.

I love a good console. I love the physical form of my model 1 Genesis, for example.

I'm a big fan of certain things, like gaming consoles, still retaining a physical form, and a physical presence.

(And I think most people feel the same way. So I'm not worried about physical consoles going extinct, even though it's literally the current advertisement, which I find just bizarre. I think gaming consoles will survive the same way that other physical media has survived, such as physical books, physical CD's, magazines, DVD players, etc.)

[axel]

I can see this working for things like turn-based strategy games or RPGs where a few lag frames aren't a dealbreaker. For anything that depends on fast action, forget it. Even if I had some multi gigabit connection at home with no data cap where this was viable it still seems pointless since I'd be playing on my TV like I do with every other console. Once I leave home I won't have that high speed connection so the idea of playing anywhere on any device is impossible.

[Ecco]

^Thanks, I mean maybe Stadia will prove us wrong and it will be awesome, at least in certain areas of the world that have really great wireless internet everywhere.

I've heard that the US lags behind other developed countries re: internet access / speed / availability, and the same for our cell phone infrastructure / service.

But I guess if you're somewhere that has perfect internet connection, then maybe the no-console idea might work.

Though I think it's an attempted fad that won't catch on, though.

Most people would prefer to actually own something physical, I believe.