Last week, Google announced its upcoming cloud-streaming gaming platform, Google Stadia. The full description is a mouthful and the word “Stadia” doesn’t immediately make sense, but both accurately reflects the project’s lofty ambitions.
Make no mistake, this is not a new gaming console. Instead, Google has devised a platform capable of instantly playing any game on your internet browser (as long as that browser is Google Chrome, of course).
Max Rothenberg | Argonaut
And as for the name — it apparently refers to the plural of “stadium,” so perhaps this is all a reinvigorated effort to appeal to sports fans.
In short, it’s easy to see why Google Stadia sounds great. No more third-party programs, no more hour-long downloads, no more hassle. And the icing on the cake? Graphics said to mirror high-end gaming computers.
During Google’s initial press announcement, I even heard it referred to as the “future of gaming” (although that’s everything under the sun these days).
So, here’s why this supposed “future of gaming” should be very concerning.
The most striking feature of Stadia is in its description: “cloud streaming.” As the name suggests, this requires one to always be online. For many, this simply may not be possible. For others, it will be hit or miss depending on the reliability of their internet service provider.
I’ve used Sony’s similar streaming platform, Playstation Now, on multiple occasions. Each time I went in expecting a better outcome, but let’s just say I was met over and over with resounding failure — who really wants to game in 360p? Idaho’s internet in particular is just not there yet.
Current-generation consoles and games already push mandatory, online updates (often 10 gigabytes or more) that are difficult for gamers with poor internet.
If this platform takes off, there soon may be no choice but to degrade the quality of our experience simply so we can keep up.
Google claims that only 25 megabits per second are needed for standard 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. It’s a claim that seems too good to be true, but also comes at a cost.
Apparently, audio compression and latency were both present even during Google’s closed testings, which begs the question — how much worse would these issues be in say, rural Idaho?
While audio is perhaps easier to ignore, latency (the delay it takes for your game to send data to the server and back) is immediately noticeable.
Without near-perfect internet courtesy of Google Fiber, it would be nigh impossible to play any kind of competitive game via Stadia. And I don’t foresee Google Fiber coming to Moscow anytime soon.
The bigger issue, however, lies with the power Google will soon hold over its users. To put it simply, the company is a tech juggernaut that continues to expand its hold.
Personally, I have always purchased physical copies of my games whenever possible. Regardless of whether I plan to trade them in at a later date or keep them, I know they are mine.
But with Stadia, and many other quickly-growing digital platforms, the decision will no longer be the consumers. Since Google, and Google alone will possess a copy of the game’s code, what happens if the company decides to withdraw support? Even if a game is successful, it’s unlikely to be supported forever. So, does that mean Google decides when we will eventually lose access?
Gaming companies already have the power to shut off servers for old, multiplayer games they no longer support. Imagine this, but with a single player, paid experiences instead.
And a more wallet-pressing issue is simply Stadia’s unanswered cost. Google has released little to no information on this front, and there are so many questions still needing answered.
How will games be purchased? What will the catalogue of games look like? Is this a subscription-based service, or some kind of one-time fee?
This is just the tip of the iceberg — a tip quickly melting into the ocean.
Stadia has some potential, but it’s dangerous and has the power to strip us of much of our already limited control. We would be better suited for this in 2050.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]