Google is thinking about getting into gaming, big time

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spronk

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https://kotaku.com/sources-google-is-planning-a-game-platform-that-could-1827217387
We haven’t heard many specifics about Google’s video game plans, but what we have heard is that it’s a three-pronged approach: 1) Some sort of streaming platform, 2) some sort of hardware, and 3) an attempt to bring game developers under the Google umbrella, whether through aggressive recruiting or even major acquisitions. That’s the word from five people who have either been briefed on Google’s plans or heard about them secondhand.

So what is this streaming platform, exactly? Like Nvidia’s GeForce Now, the Google service would offload the work of rendering graphics to beefy computers elsewhere, allowing even the cheapest PCs to play high-end games.

Amazon has been trying on and off for a few years now, even recruiting Smed (EverQuest CEO) last year, and of course amazon owns twitch. Apple is poking its feet into the space as well.

If Google is just going for the streaming route I don't have much interest, but if they try to jump in with powerful hardware as a way to wriggle their way into people's houses it could be interesting.

Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, etc tend to abandon stuff very easily so I'm not sure I really want to trust any of these guys and I think a streaming, always-connected type of gaming world is still a decade or two from being a good reality.

These big companies - Google, Microsoft, Apple - are sitting on over $500 billion dollars in cash so it could be an exciting time if they decide to buy marketshare with money.
 
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Malakriss

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We really are going to be able to order pizza through a video game soon.
 
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Soygen

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Everquest confirmed more advanced than Google!

EQ-pizza.jpg
 
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Denamian

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Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, etc tend to abandon stuff very easily so I'm not sure I really want to trust any of these guys and I think a streaming, always-connected type of gaming world is still a decade or two from being a good reality.

Google has a tendency to abandon things too, so if they did it console style I would be very cautious. I agree that streaming is a long way out from being feasible for most people.
 
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Fadaar

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If only all those companies could band together and swing their trillion dollar dick to get the US some proper internet infrastructure to make streaming games an actual possibility for more than a handful of cities.
 
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a c i d.f l y

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Not the first time a console would be developed and shuttered by a big name company. That dates back quite a while.
 
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Raes

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If only all those companies could band together and swing their trillion dollar dick to get the US some proper internet infrastructure to make streaming games an actual possibility for more than a handful of cities.

I played a handful of streaming games using OnLive when it was available. I never had any video lag or input issues when I played, and that was years ago. It'll be kinda fucked up if it ever gets really popular. If a large portion of the gaming population stops upgrading their pcs or buying dumb terminals, pc component companies are going to see some serious profit issues.
 

Mist

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I wonder if they mean actual gaming or if they mean mobile bullshit gaming.
 
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GuardianX

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Considering most of their market is on the web / mobile, I'm guessing their "Games" are going to be modular games that are web-app style games.
 

Kriptini

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I'll need corroboration from someone who actually consumed a pizza acquired through /pizza. Did it even WORK? Was it good?

Yes, it was just a redirect to the Pizza Hut website through the in-game browser lol.
 

sleevedraw

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I wonder if they mean actual gaming or if they mean mobile bullshit gaming.

Either way, it'll be pozzed with about 30 different trackers and forms of telemetry so they can hoover up all your data.
 
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khorum

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It's gotta be monetized somehow too, almost certainly INGAME advertising.
 
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Pyros

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Seems like mobile gaming probably. Maybe something to plug your Google Pixel phone in and boost it similar to the Switch docking, so you can play mobiles on TV with the phone as a controller. Don't see them getting into games games, shit's not worth the money at this point.
 

spronk

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the article does mention one possibility is a bank of server farms running the games and you playing witcher 3 inside a chrome browser window on basically a thin PC (chrome book), so I don't think its just mobile games they are wanting to go after

not much different really than OnLive or Sony's PS Now, Microsoft, EA and Ubisoft all talked about game streaming as well. Sucks that both facebook and google have more or less shuttered their dirgible internet ideas though at the same time, data caps are getting to be a real pain in the ass everywhere so without a fix for high speed universal internet I don't see streaming gaming going anywhere soon.
 

Hateyou

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Meh. Fuck Google. They’ll sell all my gaming data to China.
 
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Ambiturner

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Don't give a shit about my gaming data being sold to China, I just dont trust Google enough to put out non-SJW ME: Andromeda garbage
 
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Folanlron

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can't wait for Ad's every 5minutes..... if anything it will probably be just a Android box for TV sets... which you can already do with any current phones... sooo yay ?
 
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