Google Announces Gaming Platform Stadia at GDC 2019

Introducing Google Stadia!

No, not stadium but Stadia!

So what exactly is Stadia?

Well, put simply, Google seeks to connect gamers with other gamers, viewers, and developers, as it is a currently fragmented landscape at the moment.

In fact, the company emphasized that there are three themes among gamers and developers:

Unleash creativity with absolute freedom
A larger scale
And a greater ability to connect with others

In fact, Project Stream, which let players experience Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey via browser between October 2018 and January 2019, was created for this exact purpose.

So yeah, Stadia is Google's new gaming, boxless platform aimed towards connecting gamers with streamers and developers around the world.

On YouTube, you can watch Assassin's Creed Odyssey, but then click the play button to be thrust into the actual game in 5 seconds or less.

There are also no limits, hardware-wise. Many games will be accessible via your TV, desktop, tablet, laptops, and phones, with a few presses. You can play it on a simple Chromebook with just 1GB and an Intel integrated graphics processor or even on TV, provided you have Chromecast. Just be sure you have reliable internet.

Then there's the Stadia controller, which comes in three flavors: black, white, and mint. It will connect via WiFi to the data center, ensuring the best performance possible.

Additional features from this platform include:

A capture button that allows you to share experiences with YouTube or friends and family.
A Google Assistant button that will let players take advantage of the in-game commands and features implemented by developers. It also allows players to get help for the games they are playing, without them leaving the game.
Support 4K, stereo, HDR, surround sound and 60fps, with 8K, 120+ fps capabilities planned for the future.
Game sessions will be saved at the highest quality currently possible.
Multi-GPU architecture from AMD (10.7 TFLOPs compared to 6.0 TFLOPs for the Xbox One X and 4.12 TFLOPs for the PlayStation 4 Pro).
Full development support for Unreal and Unity.
Built on Vulkan API.
Multiplayer synchronization among possibly 1000s of players, with no cheating or hacking.
Cross-platform play, including saves.
Asymmetrical co-op experiences.
Style Transfer ML, where you can take any particular art style and apply it to the game.
State Share - You can copy a moment with the game and share it with other people, who can take over the game from that point forward or take part in a community-wide challenge.
Crowd play, a neat function that lets you enter a queue to play with your favorite streamer in co-op or any form of VS mode.
Parental controls for all content.
Upcoming Stadia games: Assassin's Creed Odyssey and DOOM Eternal.

Furthermore, Google is now heading into 1st party game development, dubbed Stadia Games and Entertainment has been announced. Better yet, the studio is being headed renown producer and director, Jade Raymond.

So what do you think? It could definitely change the direction gaming is heading, but for me? I am wholeheartedly excited, but if and only if I can also obtain physical copies of games too (for my Final Fantasy collection, anyway).

Either way, if you'd like more information, please head on over to Stadia.com. And if you haven't watched the event yourself, you should do so:

[media][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUih5C5rOrA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUih5C5rOrA[/media]

The Stadia platform is launching in 2019 in the US, UK, Europe and Canada.