Google is finally prepared to reveal pertinent details about its Stadia gaming platform during a livestream presentation on June 6th. The event, named Stadia Connect, will feature launch details including pricing and game reveals.
The timing of the event is perfect as Google intends its hardware to compete among the best, such as Microsoft, who will be presenting its upcoming projects only four days later when E3 begins. A show of strength would be to present the Stadia as able to do something much better than either of the other major gaming companies, and then watch them squirm in an attempt to come up with a response.
The concept of the Google Stadia, which is to say the leveraging of a sufficiently high-quality internet connection to stream games in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (FPS) through their many data centers across the globe, is at the forefront of technology right now. However, Google is not alone in this endeavor. Microsoft has spent a considerable amount of time and resources to develop its own streaming platform through what is currently named Project xCloud. Currently, their alpha testing of the program allows for users to stream from a dense library of 3,500 Xbox titles from three generations of consoles on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PC, and tablet devices.
While many older game players may feel nostalgic in purchasing physical copies of games, the industry seems determined to invest in the streaming of a product rather than providing a physical version. From a cost-cutting perspective, nothing could be better. Imagine having the digital infrastructure in place to distribute new games without having to spend on the physical production of a game, its case, and the transportation and storage of those games. As streaming becomes more viable, so does the reality of eliminating such costs.
With that in mind, this video by Spawn Wave (@SpawnWaveMedia) perfectly encapsulates the current problem when attempting to instill a framework of only cloud-based digital streaming.
The sword is double-edged in this instance. If Google and Microsoft go all in on cloud-based game streaming for their games, but we face the uncertainty of usage interruptions, we may not actually have control of when we access our games and digital content. Worse still are the limitations for consumers who live in areas with inadequate online infrastructure, or who have strict limits on data.
For now, these are simply talking points to consider as the giants in the industry move forward. It is best to wait and see exactly what Google announces on June 6th here, as there is always the possibility of something completely unexpected on the horizon.