Google Stadia To Detail Pricing, More This Summer
We got our first news on Google Stadia back in March, when Google held an event at GDC to announce the game streaming platform. Today we got word that we won't have to wait much longer for additional details.
A tweet from the Google Stadia Twitter account teased that more information is coming this summer, and actually offered specifics on what exactly we'll learn. First, we'll finally get a sense of what Google Stadia's pricing will look like. Second, we'll get an idea of the actual software we'll be able to play on the platform. And lastly, a vague mention of "launch info" makes an appearance, and that could mean we'll finally know when Google Stadia is going live.
The pricing is going to be big thing for many. If Google simply sells games like a normal digital storefront and offers streaming as a free service, the company will have a much easier time bringing users on board. The same could be said if Google offers some kind of flat-rate fee for access to Stadia titles, though one has to wonder how many publishers would be on board with that. If Google decides to sell games and charge for streaming, however, that might not be as attractive to players. What will Google decide to do? We don't know yet.
In terms of software, we've seen that Stadia can run Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and we have Google's promise that some major partners are signed up to deliver Stadia titles. But will Google's service have the same big names as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch? That's still very much up in the air.
And launching Stadia, really, will not be as big a deal as the launch of new hardware. Google doesn't have to get the product out in time to entice holiday shoppers. Google doesn't have to get its retail ducks in a row and keep stores stocked up. When the service is ready to go, Google can flip a switch and start taking sign-ups. But when will the company do that? It's a mystery.
Learning some of the above would definitely answer the biggest questions we had about Google Stadia. But the fact is, there are still a whole lot more out there. And it's driving us a little mad at this point that Google can't just tell us when these details are coming specifically. Is it at E3? Is Google planning some kind of summertime event? Will it come in the form of a tweet? Google's streaming technology is a radical departure from how most people play games, and people just want more information.
Being enigmatic about Stadia is not doing the service any favors; not when a new generation of consoles is coming up fast.
We'll certainly have our eyes and ears all over E3 should Google have a presence there, and we'll quickly relay any new information we gather about Stadia if Google decides to make an announcement. Otherwise, it might not be until later in the summer when Google decides to share more.