Google Stadia games might have you wondering how this streaming service will impact Google Play games. Although we can’t say for sure, what we already know about Google Stadia can help us predict how it will affect Play Store games.
What is Google Stadia?
Pretty soon, gamers won’t have to invest in an expensive hardware box. Instead, they will be able to play games via Google’s own data center.
They can either head over to the Stadia homepage or access the games through video links on YouTube. Either way, the ability to stream games opens up new opportunities for many players who aren’t able to afford the latest and greatest console.
However, there are still some requirements on the player’s end that could limit who has access to this service. These include:
- 15 Mbps streaming rate;
- Less than 40ms latency,
- Less than 5% data loss.
How it works
So how can Google offer this streaming service?
- Google servers receive inputs from the player’s computer;
- Those inputs are processed in the game,
- The effects of those inputs are streamed back to the player.
Gamers can use a keyboard and mouse if they prefer, but Google Stadia has its own gamepad that connects to Google’s cloud. This will speed up the streaming process which will improve user experience.
What we don’t know yet
At this point, there is no specific launch date, but Stadia will probably be released sometime in 2019.
It’s also not clear how much the service will cost, or what kind of payment system will be set up. Players might have to pay for each game, or they might just pay for a subscription. It’s also possible for the two methods to be combined.
What this means for mobile game developers
But what you really want to know is, are mobile games going to become obsolete?
It’s a bit difficult to know exactly what’s going to happen. However, it seems that mobile games will still be a prominent app category.
For starters, each user’s internet speed is out of Google’s control. So users who don’t meet the requirements for efficient streaming won’t have a good gaming experience. In that case, they are better off playing mobile games.
And those who are able to stream might still choose to play mobile games when they only have access to their phones. Although Stadia will make it possible to stream games on phones, it probably won’t be the type of high-quality experience gamers are looking for. As a result, they are more likely to play mobile games when they are on their mobile devices.
So it seems like mobile games and streaming games will be able to coexist. One doesn’t have to cancel out the other.
Google Play Store vs Apple Store
The biggest concern at this point is how Stradia will affect the mobile game app category in the Google Play Store. Google might integrate the two, but there aren’t any clear indications of how that will be done.
Since Apple operates separately from Google, it would be safe to assume that iOS games will carry on normally. The high level of revenue generated from iOS game apps suggests that many serious gamers are iOS users and are likely to keep playing their favorite mobile games.
Although the effects of Google Stadia games have yet to be seen, it seems likely that there will continue to be a need for mobile games.
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