So far, Google has kept the public in the dark about Stadia's pricing and games lineup, but is planning to reveal those and other details about its upcoming game streaming service this summer, the company announced today.
In case you're wondering, the summer season runs from June 21 to September 23. Google didn't mention a specific reveal date in its announcement on Twitter, only that more Stadia details are "coming soon." Hopefully that means early summer rather than having to wait until September.
Stadia on Twitter
Pricing is one of the biggest questions we're looking forward to having answered. There are so many different directions the company could go—it could charge an hourly rate, a monthly subscription, or something else.
Then there is the issue of game ownership. Will we be able to buy games, or will Stadia be a rental/service model? Are there going to be exclusives? And what games will be available?
Hopefully we'll have answers to those questions as well. Joanna spoke with several game developers before, during, and after GDC, where Google unveiled Stadia, and those questions tie into some common concerns they all had, such as the revenue model.
"We're reaching uncharted territory that could have lasting implications for creator's control over their content," said Chris Dwyer, an independent games consultant. "Streaming in general represents the most platform control over actual game content we've ever seen."
As it stands, Google is promising to give a "price reveal," make "game announcements," and share other "launch info" this summer. So at the very least, we'll know how much it will cost and what games are on tap.
It will also be interesting to see if Google talks any more about latency. Jarred spent some hands-on time with a Stadia demo at GDC, where he played Doom (2016 iteration) and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and came away wondering if the latency will be acceptable for fast-paced games.
"So how does Stadia fare? Both games are playable, and if that's all you're after, Stadia will suffice. But latency is clearly present. During an intense fight in Doom, moving and aiming and shooting with the mouse and keyboard just feels sluggish, especially compared to playing on a high-end PC," Jarred wrote.
Google is unlikely to answer all of our questions this summer, but we should have a clearer picture of things than we do now.
In case you're wondering, the summer season runs from June 21 to September 23. Google didn't mention a specific reveal date in its announcement on Twitter, only that more Stadia details are "coming soon." Hopefully that means early summer rather than having to wait until September.
Stadia on Twitter
Pricing is one of the biggest questions we're looking forward to having answered. There are so many different directions the company could go—it could charge an hourly rate, a monthly subscription, or something else.
Then there is the issue of game ownership. Will we be able to buy games, or will Stadia be a rental/service model? Are there going to be exclusives? And what games will be available?
Hopefully we'll have answers to those questions as well. Joanna spoke with several game developers before, during, and after GDC, where Google unveiled Stadia, and those questions tie into some common concerns they all had, such as the revenue model.
"We're reaching uncharted territory that could have lasting implications for creator's control over their content," said Chris Dwyer, an independent games consultant. "Streaming in general represents the most platform control over actual game content we've ever seen."
As it stands, Google is promising to give a "price reveal," make "game announcements," and share other "launch info" this summer. So at the very least, we'll know how much it will cost and what games are on tap.
It will also be interesting to see if Google talks any more about latency. Jarred spent some hands-on time with a Stadia demo at GDC, where he played Doom (2016 iteration) and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and came away wondering if the latency will be acceptable for fast-paced games.
"So how does Stadia fare? Both games are playable, and if that's all you're after, Stadia will suffice. But latency is clearly present. During an intense fight in Doom, moving and aiming and shooting with the mouse and keyboard just feels sluggish, especially compared to playing on a high-end PC," Jarred wrote.
Google is unlikely to answer all of our questions this summer, but we should have a clearer picture of things than we do now.
