Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

What's up with Google Stadia?

paperjack

Literate
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
24
Google is a massive company that is filled with what I'm sure are very intelligent people.
My question is, why did they release Stadia, and why in the manner they did? It was a disastrous launch, to say the least.

I feel that the problem with Google Stadia is that it's a product for literally no one. It's for the people who can't stand to wait one or two hours for a game to download, and instead can put up with other problems and pay extra so they can play NOW.
It requires an insane internet connection for it to work, and even then you have to be close to their servers in order to have little lag. People with such a connection are also unlikely to have crappy PC's. It's unplayable on 3G/4G, so mobile devices are right out.
The only way I could have seen it work was if they made a Netflix, but for games kind of deal - you pay a fixed monthly fee and you have instant access to a large library of games. I could see myself chipping in if they had a large amount of indies.

Did they do any market research? No closed alpha?
Is this a sign that Google is becoming too corporate, and corruption/incompetence is rampant much like other corporations?

It just baffles me, much like Hollywood companies churning out 500 million disasters.
Does anyone here have Stadia, and what are your thoughts on it? Why did you get it?
 

Gerrard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
11,927
You think Google is filled with "very intelligent people", I guess you haven't used any of their products in the past couple of years. Google is filled with diversity hires and liberal trash.
 

paperjack

Literate
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
24
You think Google is filled with "very intelligent people", I guess you haven't used any of their products in the past couple of years. Google is filled with diversity hires and liberal trash.
I was being sarcastic, if that wasn't clear enough.
 

groke

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
2,395
Location
SAVE THIS CHARACTER? NO.
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera BattleTech I'm very into cock and ball torture
probably realized they were going to get completely cockblocked by xbox game pass and changed gears to try and claw back as much revenue as possible from the initial release hype.
 

taxalot

I'm a spicy fellow.
Patron
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
9,613
Location
Your wallet.
Codex 2013 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
The problem with Google Stadia is that if you can afford this kind of price for cloud gaming services, you would be better off buying a console or computer parts. On the other hand, if you want as an alternative a cheap cloud gaming alternative, you go to Playstation Now which has hundreds of games, including exclusives, for 9.99.

The technology is interesting. The business model of Stadia is, however, incredibly shit.
 

Catacombs

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
5,928
My question is, why did they release Stadia, and why in the manner they did? It was a disastrous launch, to say the least.

Google has so much revenue it can afford to experiment with different
technologies such autonomous cars and cloud gaming. The company dips its hands
into multiple industries, hoping to see what is the most profit driven. If
Stadia doesn't work, they'll kill it -- just like a bunch of other products
they've released -- and move on to something else.
 

drexciya

Augur
Joined
May 3, 2004
Messages
250
Location
Netherlands
Google has so much revenue it can afford to experiment with different
technologies such autonomous cars and cloud gaming. The company dips its hands
into multiple industries, hoping to see what is the most profit driven. If
Stadia doesn't work, they'll kill it -- just like a bunch of other products
they've released -- and move on to something else.
Which is another reason not to buy into this service. You just know that if it doesn't take off, it will be killed by Google. And then you don't have anything anymore.
Especially since you not only have to buy into the service, but also have to buy games separately on the platform.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Google has so much revenue it can afford to experiment with different
technologies such autonomous cars and cloud gaming. The company dips its hands
into multiple industries, hoping to see what is the most profit driven. If
Stadia doesn't work, they'll kill it -- just like a bunch of other products
they've released -- and move on to something else.
Which is another reason not to buy into this service. You just know that if it doesn't take off, it will be killed by Google. And then you don't have anything anymore.
Especially since you not only have to buy into the service, but also have to buy games separately on the platform.
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.
 

paperjack

Literate
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
24
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Everyone knows it won't take off because it's a terrible business model right now. Pay extra for the privilege of playing laggy games.
 

taxalot

I'm a spicy fellow.
Patron
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
9,613
Location
Your wallet.
Codex 2013 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
Google has so much revenue it can afford to experiment with different
technologies such autonomous cars and cloud gaming. The company dips its hands
into multiple industries, hoping to see what is the most profit driven. If
Stadia doesn't work, they'll kill it -- just like a bunch of other products
they've released -- and move on to something else.
Which is another reason not to buy into this service. You just know that if it doesn't take off, it will be killed by Google. And then you don't have anything anymore.
Especially since you not only have to buy into the service, but also have to buy games separately on the platform.
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

I think you're up to something. Contact your local macro-economist with this theory !
 

vonAchdorf

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Google could break the vicious circle, e.g. by guaranteeing the customers that they get a playable copy / Steam / Epic / whatever store key for their games if they shut it down.
 

taxalot

I'm a spicy fellow.
Patron
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
9,613
Location
Your wallet.
Codex 2013 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Google could break the vicious circle, e.g. by guaranteeing the customers that they get a playable copy / Steam / Epic / whatever store key for their games if they shut it down.

This but better. I want a cloud service that also gets me for no added price to play my games offline.
I keep saying this : Cloud gaming is a great option. But it should remain just that : an option. This is what Google is having troubles to understand and that Microsoft, Sony, and maybe Steam are starting to get.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
14,152
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Google could break the vicious circle, e.g. by guaranteeing the customers that they get a playable copy / Steam / Epic / whatever store key for their games if they shut it down.

This but better. I want a cloud service that also gets me for no added price to play my games offline.
I keep saying this : Cloud gaming is a great option. But it should remain just that : an option. This is what Google is having troubles to understand and that Microsoft, Sony, and maybe Steam are starting to get.

Problem is that the whole attractiveness to the cloud for them is that you don't own a local copy. Google and everyone else is investing probably tens of millions dollars just for the chance that they can make it so that you have to buy a $60 temporary access license rather than $60 to install and play a game forever. Businesses aren't continually trying it because they want to make gaming more convenient for you, the player.
 

DalekFlay

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
14,118
Location
New Vegas
Not sure why you needed to start a thread when there already was a Stadia thread, just to say the same shit most people have said all last year.

Anyway... convenience is huge with customers, as is cost. When someone does streaming right... convenient, cheaper... they will likely find success. Google just fumbled the ball out of the gate in various ways.
 

Fedora Master

Arcane
Patron
Edgy
Joined
Jun 28, 2017
Messages
27,819
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Everyone knows it won't take off because it's a terrible business model right now. Pay extra for the privilege of playing laggy games.

People predicted it would fail for exactly the reasons it is failing now, so if a bunch of randos can figure this out someone at Google should have too.
 

paperjack

Literate
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
24
I just realized it could be possible to combine the advantages of streaming and normal download by having you play the game immediately through streaming, while it downloads to your computer in the background. As soon as the download is finished, it smoothly transitions to playing on-drive. Would require a monster internet connection, though.
 

Tacgnol

Shitlord
Patron
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
1,871,734
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Grab the Codex by the pussy RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
Isn't that a self-fulfilling prophecy though? Everybody thinks that if it doesn't take off, then Google will kill the project, so they don't buy it. But if these people would buy into it, it would be financially successful and Google would continue to support it.

Everyone knows it won't take off because it's a terrible business model right now. Pay extra for the privilege of playing laggy games.

People predicted it would fail for exactly the reasons it is failing now, so if a bunch of randos can figure this out someone at Google should have too.

The other prediction I always hear, "Game streaming will work in X years because connection speeds will be better."

Then X comes around and the technology still has the same issues.
 

Fedora Master

Arcane
Patron
Edgy
Joined
Jun 28, 2017
Messages
27,819
I just realized it could be possible to combine the advantages of streaming and normal download by having you play the game immediately through streaming, while it downloads to your computer in the background. As soon as the download is finished, it smoothly transitions to playing on-drive. Would require a monster internet connection, though.

Diablo 3 does that to a degree and it doesn't work that well. The problem is that most games can't predict which assets will be needed next so there's always hiccups.
 

Tacgnol

Shitlord
Patron
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
1,871,734
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Grab the Codex by the pussy RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
I just realized it could be possible to combine the advantages of streaming and normal download by having you play the game immediately through streaming, while it downloads to your computer in the background. As soon as the download is finished, it smoothly transitions to playing on-drive. Would require a monster internet connection, though.

Diablo 3 does that to a degree and it doesn't work that well. The problem is that most games can't predict which assets will be needed next so there's always hiccups.

Same with other nu-Blizzard games. As you say, it doesn't really work that well in practice as the game rarely has the correct assets ready when they are needed.
 

paperjack

Literate
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
24
Diablo 3 does that to a degree and it doesn't work that well. The problem is that most games can't predict which assets will be needed next so there's always hiccups.

I don't mean that you stream the game assets on a needed basis, but that you play the game on a server through a stream like Stadia does. When it finishes downloading completely it then switches to that.
 

DalekFlay

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
14,118
Location
New Vegas
The other prediction I always hear, "Game streaming will work in X years because connection speeds will be better."

Then X comes around and the technology still has the same issues.

It's worth noting most of the professional reviews say the technology itself works rather well; or better than expected at any rate. It's the business model most of them are attacking it for. Not saying the tech is good enough for any of us, but we're not the target market.
 

abija

Prophet
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
2,892
Same with other nu-Blizzard games. As you say, it doesn't really work that well in practice as the game rarely has the correct assets ready when they are needed.
It works quite well on a good connection. The kind of connection that makes that feature useless in the first place. Great use of development time!

It's worth noting most of the professional reviews say the technology itself works rather well; or better than expected at any rate. It's the business model most of them are attacking it for. Not saying the tech is good enough for any of us, but we're not the target market.

What's their target market actually?
People who have money to throw at hipster gadgets, but can't get a console?
People who like to play real games on the go and live in south korea?
 
Last edited:

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom