Google Stadia

bsmaff

bsmaff

International
11 August 2003
Hertfordshire
Exeter City
Surprised there is not a topic on this already.

Personally I think this is the absolute future of gaming.
Cheap device @$129, a very reasonable $10 a month subscription charge.
No 18 month old mid-range PC tech on launch.
Hardware on the servers will be constantly evolving and upgraded to provide a 4K experience which if like the Nvidia Experience will be equivalent of gaming on an i7 with a 2x 1080Ti.

If this is as good as the Nvidia Experience there is no doubt consoles will be a thing of the past..

More information:-
Stadia is a cloud gaming service operated by Google, claimed to be capable of streaming video games up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with support for high-dynamic-range, to players via the company's numerous data centers across the globe, provided they are using a sufficiently high-speed Internet connection. It will be accessible through the Google Chrome web browser, and also on smartphones and tablets.

The service is integrated with YouTube and its "state share" feature allows viewers of a Stadia stream to launch a game on the service on the same save state as the streamer. This has been used as a selling point for the service. It is compatible with HID class USB controllers, though a proprietary controller manufactured by Google with a direct Wi-Fi link to data centers will be made available alongside the service. Stadia is not like Netflix, requiring users to purchase games to stream via Stadia rather than pay for access to a library of games. While the base service will be free, a Pro tier monthly subscription allows users to stream at higher rates for larger resolutions, and the offer of free games to add to their library.

Known in development as Project Stream, the service was debuted through a closed beta running Assassin's Creed Odyssey in October 2018, with a public release planned in November 2019 in select countries. It competes with Sony Interactive Entertainment's PlayStation Now service, and Microsoft's Xbox Project xCloud.
 
I'm in as soon as there's a game that can't be done on current consoles.

As it stands, I'd be paying £10 a month to stream something that I could play on my current PS/XB console, but with 4K graphics that aren't muddy because of compression, and with no latency issues.

Don't get me wrong - I'm genuinely very interested in it - but I'm waiting for them to announce something massive. A World War simulator with 1,000s of people playing at once in the same city-sized map (which is something they've said is possible with the technology). A football game with insane physics and/or AI.
 
Chris Davies said:
As it stands, I'd be paying £10 a month to stream something that I could play on my current PS/XB console, but with 4K graphics that aren't muddy because of compression, and with no latency issues.
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So far I have not experienced any muddy or latency issues with the Nvidia experience on the Shield, but then it is probably all dependent on internet connection. They reckon you will need about 60MBPs for 4K gaming, so in real world sense that would more likely need you would need closer to 100. So in the UK you would need to have Virgin in your area or your pretty much screwed.
I think it is one of those things you need to experience before believing what is possible.
Since getting into the Nvidia beta, I don't touch my Xbox anymore for casual gaming, it is all there on the Shield ready to play.

The Nvidia app, just asks you to sign into Steam, Uplay and then your in.. Pretty much your whole game library is available to play in 4K and with loading times of a decent PC with an SSD.

The only problem is what will happen to gaming exclusives and I am pretty certain companies like Rockstar won't want Red Dead 3 being on a service like this as it will mean much lower revenues.
So the main issue I can see is that you will need to pay $9.99 a month to access the service with a small selection of older games over 18 months old and you will need to pay top dollar for new games similar to the prices of PSN.
Which is why I like the Nvidia solution, as since it uses your Steam account you can purchase the games very cheaply and have them available.
 
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bsmaff said:
So far I have not experienced any muddy or latency issues with the Nvidia experience on the Shield, but then it is probably all dependent on internet connection. They reckon you will need about 60MBPs for 4K gaming, so in real world sense that would more likely need you would need closer to 100. So in the UK you would need to have Virgin in your area or your pretty much screwed.
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Well firstly, I'll never get Virgin where I live, so all this is a moot point for me (especially as I've got a 4K telly and 4K-capable consoles)... But...

From what I know, the images have to be compressed, otherwise it just wouldn't technically be possible. There's a very, very short clip of it here at 11:05 (and you don't get the benefit of it without watching it at full quality on a big-screen TV):


Compression means loss - and even if we're talking about a negligible loss and a negligible latency drop, there is a better-performing experience out there. So why would you choose the poorer one if you could afford the better one (which we're all doing right now)?

It's like asking a PC gamer to sell their £1,000+ PC and buy a £300 console to play their favourite racing game on at a slightly lower FPS. Is the difference going to be noticeable? If you're nerdy enough (I am), yes. So why do it, other than to save money, if you've got the platform (PC) and the game(s) already?

For no performance benefit?! As a PC gamer, you'd never do that!

(For a cost benefit, I get it - but I've read that new releases will be charged separately from the subscription fee, and if the new games are all available on other platforms, with even the slightest performance advantage, and available offline, and without completely destroying your bandwidth, why in God's name would you? So that you can play on a poxy phone screen? While the 4K telly gathers dust?)

Financially it's a great deal and if you don't already have a PlayStation and/or an Xbox and/or a PC - particularly if you're a casual gamer with no real time or inclination to own a console - I absolutely see the reason for it.

But gamers like us? I'm not seeing it - until a game comes along that simply can't be done with current console hardware.

That's what they've bragged about in their PR, and that's what I absolutely can't wait for. That's the real generational jump, chaining these things together to make a game that isn't possible with a single home console.

But it needs a developer to make that investment and create something incredible. All I'm seeing so far are games I can play elsewhere. A new platform needs its AAA title, a must-have game. I'm waiting for them to tell us where that's going to come from - I feel like devs are too scared to commit to that. Yet. (For fear of not getting back their investment.)
 
After the launch titles release for the Google Stadia only one thing springs to mind.....

What a load of old shit!!
 
bsmaff said:
After the launch titles release for the Google Stadia only one thing springs to mind.....

What a load of old shit!!
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Yeah. As I said above, put something together that's designed for Stadia and is different to what I can get on a console I already own and I'm in with bells on.

Until then, I really don't give a shit if I can play a game I've already got without ever needing to patch it, with a slight lag, and no mod support (you can't even patch Football Manager to have real team names and/or badges and kits).

This is the only exclusive so far (and it's a timed exclusive), and I'm really not bothered...

 
Chris Davies said:
Yeah. As I said above, put something together that's designed for Stadia and is different to what I can get on a console I already own and I'm in with bells on.

Until then, I really don't give a shit if I can play a game I've already got without ever needing to patch it, with a slight lag, and no mod support (you can't even patch Football Manager to have real team names and/or badges and kits).

This is the only exclusive so far (and it's a timed exclusive), and I'm really not bothered...

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I thought it was going to have a massive catalog, but it doesn't have hardly anything.
It doesn't come close to the Nvidia Experience on Shield.
 
bsmaff said:
I thought it was going to have a massive catalog, but it doesn't have hardly anything.
It doesn't come close to the Nvidia Experience on Shield.
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I think they're going after very casual gamers who don't want a PC or a console, who just want to play a specific game occasionally. With that in mind, I think it'll be useless for the likes of us. Which is such a huge waste of the infrastructure they're using to power this thing.

If it doesn't get enough sign-ups by the beginning of next year, I can see them just dropping it too. Google isn't shy about abandoning its experiments.
 
What's the current status of Stadia? I tend to watch many videos on Youtube, that criticize it in a very negative feedback.
 
Google promises more than 10 Stadia timed-exclusives by July 2020
More than 120 games coming to Stadia in 2020.
Google has promised more than 10 Stadia timed-exclusives will be released by July 2020 - but it failed to name the games.

More than 120 games are due to hit Google's streaming service in 2020, Google promised.

"Looking at our upcoming lineup, we are tracking more than 120 games coming to Stadia in 2020, and are targeting more than 10 games in the first half of this year alone that will be only available on Stadia when they launch," Google said in a note to press today.
...
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https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...-than-10-stadia-timed-exclusives-by-july-2020
 
It is really impressive, cause the launch date according to wikipedia was 19 November 2019, not even two months ago. And it is so heavily criticized as it is already a failure! And not only for the games library. Ping/lag is also reported as a minus.
 
Stadia (Basic) is now free, with a two-month Pro trial available too.

Simply go to stadia.com - select "register with invite code" (not buy now) - and enter a Gmail address. Leave the invite code field blank.

Here are my thoughts:


Immediate disclaimer: 70mbps connection, used a wired 360 controller.

Yes, for SOME games the input delay won't be a big deal. But in the ones where it's perceptible, it ruins them (for me - maybe it wouldn't for a casual gamer).

So in my opinion, for me, it's garbage. I'm really sad so much time is going into cloud gaming. It's like so much time going into FUT and microtransactions. It means all future developments are going to be poo. For me. (But, hooray for casual gamers with deep pockets, I guess.)
 
Chris Davies said:
Stadia (Basic) is now free, with a two-month Pro trial available too.

Simply go to stadia.com - select "register with invite code" (not buy now) - and enter a Gmail address. Leave the invite code field blank.

Here are my thoughts:


Immediate disclaimer: 70mbps connection, used a wired 360 controller.

Yes, for SOME games the input delay won't be a big deal. But in the ones where it's perceptible, it ruins them (for me - maybe it wouldn't for a casual gamer).

So in my opinion, for me, it's garbage. I'm really sad so much time is going into cloud gaming. It's like so much time going into FUT and microtransactions. It means all future developments are going to be poo. For me. (But, hooray for casual gamers with deep pockets, I guess.)
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Is this the first cloud service you used? I almost tried PS Now after reading some good reviews but at the end I didnt find any game that would pull me so I left it for when my backlog is a bit more free. The one with most complaints is actually stadia. However, I have XCloud in my tablet, just havent bothered with it but it seems one of the most ironed out ones.
 
Sad to hear this isn't going so well. I was one of the beta testers for LiquidSky and was pretty impressed. Really thought Google could nail this but it all seems a bit too much too soon.
 
el niche said:
Is this the first cloud service you used? I almost tried PS Now after reading some good reviews but at the end I didnt find any game that would pull me so I left it for when my backlog is a bit more free. The one with most complaints is actually stadia. However, I have XCloud in my tablet, just havent bothered with it but it seems one of the most ironed out ones.
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It's not the first I've used, I've tried PS Now, Xbox's streaming beta and something else years ago (OnLive was it called). They are all pretty much equal IMO.

Stadia existing as a service for casual gamers who aren't big enough gamers to care about look or feel - I get the thought process. But the games aren't really casual-gamer-games (like Candy Crush or something), and they're all better on your own hardware. In terms of fidelity and response, and even ownership of the product.

I just think it's a poor idea in general. The two best bits are eliminating patch downloads (which can be done overnight with a console on standby) and chaining Stadia units together to make a super-complex simulation game - which NOBODY IS DOING (nor will they, because they're having to give Stadia away free now, such is the lack of interest).
 
I have used PSNow, the Xbox Streaming one, Nvidia Shield and Steam Link.

The Nvidia streaming was very good and did not feel any particular input lag, mainly played F1 and tried others like Tomb Raider.

The steam Link was dodgy as, there was really clear input lag with that and this was fixed a little when using a wired connection, but steam link was streaming from your PC and not the cloud.

PSnow was tested ages ago and what I used back then probably isn't a relevant review of the system now, as I am sure they have improved it.

Xbox One I tested it incredibly briefly and cant really remember too much about it, so must of been ok.

Was tempted to buy a Google Stadia at launch but then they released the game list and I cancelled my pre order.

I still think that this will be the future of gaming, not the "next generation" but give it 3-5 years and this will become the future for many casual gamers.
No one knows the prices of the next gen machines but probably around £450 - £500 and then you have to pay £40 a year to play online (I still dont get this charge)
A Stadia is £130 + a monthly fee, so if they start getting it right like Nvidia have then casual/console gamers will eventually start to switch over.
You buy a machine once and you constantly get the servers being updated, so you get a new console every year in theory.

But the downside is the games catalogue for both Nvidia and Google is small and companies are pulling out from the service all the time for Nvidia.
 
martyl2 said:
Actually tried this the other day on a free trial. Didn’t experience anything in the way of lag. Decent for a more casual PC gamer for sure.
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It works great for me. Problem is not a big catalog and multiplayer
But I find it pretty cheap entry for gaming or like you said casual gamer.
 
el niche said:
It works great for me. Problem is not a big catalog and multiplayer
But I find it pretty cheap entry for gaming or like you said casual gamer.
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Stadia might work great but the price and catalog are huge cons. GFN is also great, better games support but still you need to buy the games.
That said, I've moved to Xcloud which, although in beta, it has a huge catalog and I'm getting great streaming performance. Ofc the bitrate is still low but it's enough for me to enjoy the games on 1080p. I'm a quite old pc gamer and I don't mind playing games on lower graphic settings.
 
fear said:
Stadia might work great but the price and catalog are huge cons. GFN is also great, better games support but still you need to buy the games.
That said, I've moved to Xcloud which, although in beta, it has a huge catalog and I'm getting great streaming performance. Ofc the bitrate is still low but it's enough for me to enjoy the games on 1080p. I'm a quite old pc gamer and I don't mind playing games on lower graphic settings.
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Xcloud is great for me too. It's a great way to test games before installing them to see if they are worth it.
I agree about the catalog in stadia, that's my biggest problem with it. The technology is there. Don't agree so much about the price though... Think about it a kid wants to play madden or fifa, parent can just buy the game and can be played in a Chromebook/Chromecast/old pc, no need for other new powerful hardware.
Like I said for casual gaming it's cheap, if you have a gaming pc/next gen console then it's more about convenience

I still enjoy it though, I use it for fifa in my old MacBook while my daughter watches cartoons in the tv
 
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Wow I did not see that one coming! So I can basically get a refund for the FIFA 22 I purchased last year? Hurray! :BOP:
 
cb7 said:
Wow I did not see that one coming! So I can basically get a refund for the FIFA 22 I purchased last year? Hurray! :BOP:
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Lol! Im actually getting a refund for it full price too!
Ive got 3 controllers that I got for free, fortunately they work on the PC.

Just bought Division 2 again for PC, thankfully its cross - save or else I would've lost countless hours of progress.
 
Only game I was "forced" to buy on Stadia was Fifa 22 as well lol. Funny thing is that togheter with buying a game that price I had one of those free Stadia controllers and Chromecast Ultra - in the end since I actually care zero for losing Fifa 22, in front of the refund it was all worth it I guess.

If we exclude that brief Fifa period in which it felt useful, never went crazy with the idea of gaming on streaming anyway, quite the opposite, so I'm kinda fine with it closing down.
 
Madmac79 said:
Only game I was "forced" to buy on Stadia was Fifa 22 as well lol. Funny thing is that togheter with buying a game that price I had one of those free Stadia controllers and Chromecast Ultra - in the end since I actually care zero for losing Fifa 22, in front of the refund it was all worth it I guess.

If we exclude that brief Fifa period in which it felt useful, never went crazy with the idea of gaming on streaming anyway, quite the opposite, so I'm kinda fine with it closing down.
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I actually really liked the idea of streaming gaming and how stadia was set up (non subscription based, no downloads, updates, no need to own a console, play in any device). And technology wise it felt pretty great.
Its always good to have options so this one I'm a bummed about.

What's weird is today at noon I got a marketing email about new stuff that I had missed from stadia and new games (fifa 23 is releasing tomorrow in stadia) and then at 6pm I get an email about it shutting down
I think it even caught employees by surprise
Oh well guess i got 3 controllers, 3 Chromecasts and rented some games for free during this period.
 
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