Google Stadia intends to offer a streaming service for video games, but those who pay for a subscription will only receive roughly one free game a month. The original promotional material for Google Stadia presented it as a service that many believed could become the Netflix for video games, but later information has proven that association to be false.
The idea behind Google Stadia is that all of the hard work is done on the server end, which means that high-quality games can be streamed to any compatible device. The fact that games can be streamed from any location with a powerful internet connection without the need for special hardware has been the main selling point behind Google Stadia, but there have been more revelations over the past few months that have made the service less appealing, which includes the fact that players still have to pay full price for games, that there won’t be a beta period to test the hardware, and that it can devour 1TB of data within sixty-five hours of play.
Any comparisons between Google Stadia and Netflix have officially been shot down by Andrey Doronichev, who is the director of product management at Google. Doronichev recently did a Reddit AMA, where he answered questions about the upcoming Google Stadia service. When asked about the situation regarding free games for Google Stadia subscribers, Dornoichev mentioned that they would only be receiving roughly one free game a month:
The Google Stadia service will be free when it launches for everyone in 2020, but fans will still need to purchase games and they will be locked at a maximum of 1080p resolution. The Stadia Pro subscription costs ten dollars month, which will allow games to run at 4k HDR with 5.1 surround sound. The first free game that will be available for subscribers at launch will be Destiny 2: The Collection, which will be given to those who purchase the upcoming Founder’s Edition in November.
“To be clear, Stadia Pro is not “Netflix for Games” like some people have mentioned, a closer comparison would be like Xbox Live Gold or Playstation Plus. The Pro subscribers get 4K/HDR streaming, 5.1 sound, exclusive discounts and access to some free games. Roughly one free game per month give or take. Starting with Destiny 2 (yay!).”
The fact that the Stadia Pro subscription costs ten dollars a month means that it’s matching the price of its main competition, as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold also only cost ten dollars per month. That Stadia Pro is only offering one game a month means that it’s currently offering less content that it’s competition, though, including Nintendo Switch Online. Still, the price will be worthwhile for those who want to play games on a 4k television set without needing to pay for expensive hardware - it just keeps getting steeper as consumers learn more about the platform.
Next: Stadia’s Best Feature Is Being Able To Change Your Gamertag Anytime You Want
Source: Reddit
