If the rumors are true, Google just might unveil their ambitious gaming plans which might signal the end of an era among players. Read on for more details.
Citing anonymous sources who have either first- or secondhand info from Google, Kotaku says the tech giant is planning to unveil their ambitious gaming plans that involve the use of the internet, and a gaming controller.
Previously, playing games require the use of a gaming platform called a console. The PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch are all consoles, which are used to run video games for console owners to play. Google, however, plans to introduce console-less gaming made possible via internet streaming.
This is how it works: instead of loading a game from a disc and running it on a console, a player who wishes to play a game will simply need to download game data from Google's servers as he plays it. This is simply called game streaming.
Game streaming eliminates the need for consoles to process game data locally. This means players won't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a game console that can only play a limited amount of games (because of what we call "exclusives"). This also means loading screens can be eliminated as well.
Kotaku says Google wants their game streaming platform to be made available to a variety of hardware, including PCs, Macs, TVs, phones, tablets, and more. Google also plans to release its own game controller, The Verge noted. Kotaku speculates this controller might enable this feature on certain TV sets without additional hardware.
Kotaku said Google has some wild ideas for the game streaming platform. First, if a player is watching his favorite Twitch streamer play a game and buys it, he might be able to download a save file that allows him to continue where the Twitch streamer left off. This is, of course, subject to the game developer's discretion.
There's also the idea of players being able to purchase a multiplayer game to jump straight into a match with the streamer they were watching. Again, this will only happen if the developer allows it.
These ideas -- the thought of not needing that expensive game console; the thought of playing where a streamer left off; and the idea that games, high-end or not, will not have loading screens even on something as simple as a TV or Chromebook - are really exciting.
One major problem, however, is that this will require high-speed internet connections. Not everyone has that. Those who do, however, will notice how impressive Google's plan really is.
