Odd Semester, July 2019 issue 4 Department Of Information Technology Like Netflix, you can start playing on your phone, than pick up on your tablet, laptop, or TV once you’ve got a bigger screen handy. Or the other way around. Google has revealed that at least 30 games will be playable on Stadia when it launches in November, and these include titles like Destiny 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, The Division 2, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Metro Exodus. That’s not many to start off with, but as Stadia’s popularity grows so should the list of games. THE NEWSLETTER OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT History: STAFF INCHARGE: Prof. Saurabh Suman “The future of gaming is not a box,” according to EDITORS: 1) Miss. Yutika Donga Google. “It’s a place.” Just like how humans have 2) Miss. Riya Kalburgi built stadiums for sports over hundreds of years, Google believes it’s building a virtual stadium, aptly dubbed Stadia, for the future of games to be Google Stadia – No Waiting On Game played anywhere. You won’t need an expensive Downloads gaming PC or a dedicated game console. Instead, you’ll just need access to Google’s Chrome browser Introduction: to instantly play games on a phone, tablet, PC, or TV. It’s a bold vision for where gaming is heading, and Google hopes its Stadia cloud streaming service will make it a reality. Google may have just unveiled the future of gaming at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), but it’s a future the company has left us knowing very little about. Release Date: The Stadia is Google’s new cloud game The earliest you can access Google Stadia is streaming service launching November, and it’s November 2019, with no exact date given just yet - automatically considered one of the front-runners in but you'll need to buy into the Stadia Founder's the current wave of cloud gaming because, well, it’s Edition (which we'll get to the pricing of in just a Google. second). Google Stadia will be available in the US, Essentially, Stadia is like having a game Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, console in the cloud that you can access from any Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, device. Think of it like how Netflix is a DVD player Norway, and Finland regions first, with more in the cloud — Stadia works in a similar way, but territories being added in 2020 and beyond. If you for games. At launch, you’ll be able to use it on don't want to buy a Stadia Founder's Edition, the laptops or PCs with a Chrome browser, Pixel 3 and Stadia Base option will be available sometime in 3a phones, and a Chromecast Ultra dongle that 2020. plugs into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. Odd Semester, July 2019 issue 4 Department Of Information Technology Stadia’s Price Stadia Controller Google Stadia is available at different price The dedicated Stadia controller isn't required points, but to play it as early as possible, you'll need to play on Google Stadia, which supports a wide to buy the Stadia Founder's Edition for $129 / £119 range of controllers as well as a mouse and with the option to pre-order it now. In the Founder's keyboard setup. But if you want to play Stadia the Edition bundle, you'll get a Chromecast Ultra for way Google intended, you can buy a Google Stadia playing on your TV, a limited-edition Night Blue controller for $69 / £59 each. Colors currently on Stadia Controller, a three-month Stadia Pro offer include Clearly White, Just Black, Wasabi (the subscription, a buddy pass that lets you gift three clear front-runner at the moment), or the Night Blue months of Stadia Pro to a friend, and first dibs on colorway included exclusively in the Founder's your Stadia Name (so you can snag your preferred Edition. handle). Stadia controllers use your WiFi to connect A Stadia Pro subscription, priced at $9.99 / directly with whatever game is being streamed from £8.99 per month, is required to stream games at Google's servers, with the classic dual joystick, D- 4K/60fps/HDR with 5.1 surround sound, and grants pad, face button, and shoulder button layout most access to a growing library of games that are free closely resembling the DualShock 4 controller. It for as long as your Stadia Pro subscription is active. also has two additional buttons which let you easily You'll also give discounts on games for purchase, capture footage or activate the Google Assistant. and for a limited time, Stadia Pro will include the Once you've got a supported controller and a screen complete Destiny 2 experience, with the base game, to play on, you're all set to use Google Stadia - no all previous add-ons, the new Shadowkeep console or additional wires required. Here are the expansion, and the annual pass, with the option to full Stadia Controller specs, if you're curious: transfer your Guardian from other platforms (PC • Wi-Fi: Dual-band (2.4GHz / 5GHz) and Xbox are currently confirmed, while Sony is IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity still dragging its feet on approval). • Bluetooth: Bluetooth Low Energy If you don't want to pay for a Stadia Pro 4.2 (BLE) subscription, you can still use Stadia Base, coming • Headset jack: 3.5mm headset jack in 2020. It's capped at 1080p/60fps with stereo for headsets with or without a microphone sound, and games must be purchased individually, • USB: USB-C port for charging, though they're yours to keep once you buy them. wired gameplay, and accessories such as USB-C You can play in a Chrome browser on any computer headsets. HID-compliant or on your Pixel 3 or 3a phone, with plans to expand • Weight: 268g Google Stadia to other mobile phones in the future. • Dimensions: 163mm x 105mm x 65mm • Google Assistant: Google Assistant button to trigger microphone • Capture button: Quick access to image and video capture Odd Semester, July 2019 issue 4 Department Of Information Technology • Battery: Internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery ➢ Challenges Faced : Game Lineup Google, with its seemingly endless technological resources, is up for the challenge of making The ever-growing library of Google Stadia games is streaming video games a viable alternative, and looking impressive, especially considering that you ultimately the preferred option, over PC and console don't need a console or powerful PC to enjoy these gaming. However, at present, Google must contemporary games. The Stadia Connect overcome a wide array of challenges otherwise this presentation on June 6 even threw in a handful of vision would remain a pipe dream. world-first reveals, including Baldur's Gate 3 from Perhaps the main hurdles for Stadia in achieving its the studio that brought you the Divinity: Original goal are the “last mile” issues at the consumer end. Sin series, and Gylt, an intriguing Lovecraftian Starting off with the internet setup requirements for horror game from the makers of Rime. Here are all maintaining a stable framerate for a seamless the confirmed games (as of June 6) coming to gaming session. While high speed internet is Google Stadia, with more on the way; though they common nowadays but does come in different didn't have anything to show just yet, Capcom, EA, forms ranging from wired connections to Wi-Fi and Rockstar are also coming to Stadia in some routers. Each come with their own problems such as capactiy. the quality of the cables and the frequency of the • Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Wi-Fi router making it difficult for Google to come • Doom Eternal up with a standardized solution to overcome these • Wolfenstein: Youngblood problems. Looking beyond the network, interfacing • Destiny 2 problems due different choice of input methods may • Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid cause similar problems. Stadia promises that after • Baldur's Gate 3 watching a trailer on YouTube, you will have an • Metro Exodus option to start playing within 5 seconds of opting to • Thumper do so. There, it needs to determine whether the • GRID consumer would be playing using a keyboard and • Samurai Shodown mouse or a controller or something else. To • Football Manager 2020 compute all this, among many other variables, • Get Packed would definitely be cumbersome in about 5 • The Elder Scrolls Online seconds. • The Crew 2 Another aim of Stadia that may create problems for • The Division 2 Google is their claim that they can have same • Assassin's Creed Odyssey gaming experience on a mobile device or a tablet. • Ghost Recon Breakpoint Again, the interfacing issues can arise in this case as • Trials Rising well. One might say they may be more severe as it • NBA 2K can be harder to sync with the on screen controls of • Borderlands 3 a mobile phone and tablet. In general, they can • Farming Simulator 19 work fine with slower paced games but for games • Mortal Kombat 11 like PUBG, people tend to go for clip-on physical • Rage 2 buttons. They may get the job done but can still • Final Fantasy 15 cause input lag. Also, it may be problematic as to • Gylt how Google Stadia service may operate on iOS • Tomb Raider Trilogy given there is no word about its cross compatibility. • Darksiders Genesis iPad and iPhone owners make up a sizeable chunk • Just Dance 2020 of lucrative customers so it makes financial sense for Google to cater for them as well.