What was Google Stadia? – Features and game list

Robert Sole 2 December, 2019

1 2.207 8 reading minutes

During the 2019 Game Developers Conference, Google unveiled Project Stadia. Google Stadia aims to provide a cloud gaming solution for gamers . This isn't entirely new, as several companies have been working on this technology for some time. Google appears to be the first to have a marketable product, making it a pioneer in the cloud gaming field and a company with a significant responsibility. Their goal is to offer a high-quality product with minimal latency, a moderate cost, and a massive game library. Let's take a look at what Stadia is and what features it will offer.

Table of Contents

What is Cloud Gaming?

The first step is to explain simply what cloud gaming is. Put simply, someone else runs the game for us . There's a central server, usually from a private company, that's running the game. We simply play the game . This communication takes place via the internet, as you'd expect.

This eliminates the need for expensive hardware to run and enjoy a game . Furthermore, it allows you to play any game on any connected device. For example, you could play Counter-Strike on your Smart TV without needing your computer nearby.

We must understand that this doesn't exempt us from having equipment with specific characteristics and, above all, an internet connection. The most critical aspect is the internet connection. We need a broadband connection and the fewest possible routers. A router is any network management device between us and the server. Our router and the number of nodes from our internet service provider through which the information passes are routers.

How Google Stadia works

Getting to this point hasn't been easy, quick, or cheap. Developing Stadia has taken a total of 20 years and required the construction of a specialized infrastructure. The company has emphasized that "its network offers more than any other competitor on the planet."

To achieve this, they've deployed hundreds of thousands of kilometers of fiber optic cable that covers the entire world. This is the most important feature and the one that makes progress in Google Stadia possible.

As we've explained, conventional data in any cloud service bounces around a lot . This causes an increase in latency, or the time between action and reaction in the game. From the moment we fire a shot until it's reflected on the screen, 'x' amount of time passes. The more intermediate steps, the longer the delay and, therefore, the worse the gaming experience.

Google will do it directly through a special system that eliminates intermediaries. Google Stadia is characterized by having only one intermediary: our router.

Simplifying gaming

The Google Stadia platform aims to simplify the need for users to buy expensive hardware to play games. Hardware is currently the main barrier to gaming. Games are becoming increasingly demanding, and components are more expensive , so costs need to be reduced. This would be achieved with cloud gaming, where users only need very basic hardware to enjoy it.

Google believes the pool of potential gamers is larger than the current player base. They believe that if they've managed to get users to consume content on YouTube en masse , they can also get them to play games en masse. Their motto is "Powered by Google and For Everyone."

One of the biggest problems was the lack of cross-platform play. Xbox players couldn't compete against PlayStation or PC players. Now, these possibilities are opening up. The company wants to eliminate these limitations with a single platform that encompasses them all.

Developers, fundamental

It's all well and good to talk about players, but what about game developers? They're fundamental to the existence of games and they need to be kept happy. Not only should there be good feedback, but there should also be the possibility of generating revenue to create better games or more content for existing ones. This is why Google wants Stadia to pivot on: Create + Scale + Connect

Currently there is a lot of buying games due to the 'hype' of the moment and then it ends in disaster. Google Stadia intends to correct this point using a hyperlink and a wait of a handful of seconds.

The waiting time between the announcement and the 'hype' until the game comes out is suppressed. A game that often takes up a lot, comes with serious bug problems and a long list of damages for the user.

As a solution , Stadia presents a 'single codebase,' meaning there's only one version of the game to develop, maintain, update, and patch, if necessary . This eliminates the need for developers to limit quality based on user hardware. There are countless user configuration possibilities, and the goal is to reduce them to just one, making content development easier.

Finally, in this field the scalability of the platform is important. It will have to house hundreds of players, each playing a different game or match. This point is key, because if the capacity of the network is exceeded, the entire system may fall.

Google Stadium Controller

It's essentially the device to control them all and everything. The goal was to create a simple, platform-specific controller that's compatible with everything . It needs to be compatible with the Google Chrome browser, Chromecast, a Smart TV, a smartphone, a PC, and any other device. The Stadia Controller is the universal solution with unique additional features not found in other controllers.

This controller will have the ability to directly and uniquely detect the screen you're playing on. It will ensure you have the necessary resources to run the game according to your screen size, so you won't run out of power. It will be able to dynamically adjust the resource requirements allocated to you as the platform you're playing on changes.

It has a button that activates Google Assistant, which is like 'OK Google' on Android . It has an integrated microphone to capture sound, which it sends to the Data Center for processing and processing, and then relays the user's input.

Infrastructure

As we've mentioned, it took 20 years to develop Google Stadia's infrastructure . Information is relayed around the world in milliseconds without interruption. This allows the company to offer massive computing power close to the user.

To give you an idea, their network is based on fiber optic connections and submarine cables at hundreds of points worldwide. There are more than 7500 edge node locations. Everything is connected via a global network of proprietary backbones . This gives the company a 20-year head start over other companies looking to enter this field.

Google is trying to demonstrate that no one else has the infrastructure they have for Stadia. Deploying it involves high technical requirements that are 'invisible' to the user. Furthermore, each point in the network has its own data centers with interconnected racks containing graphics cards, memory, and scalable storage. According to Google, users don't need to worry about anything and don't need to know anything about it.

Without cheats

They wanted to make it clear that cheaters have no place on this platform. It's clear they're going to eliminate anyone who uses cheats and will implement measures to prevent them from doing it again. This will undoubtedly please users, who are fed up with cheaters who ruin the games.

Shared computing

The world's leading video platform, YouTube, will be a cornerstone for the company . Different data center areas will be used to manage both aspects. Players will be able to stream their gameplay while playing without any major issues. Hardware resources will not be used for both computing functions to avoid limiting performance.

Furthermore, the platform will have 'unlimited' resources, so developers can go as wild as they want. Games can be heavier and more complex, without limits. All in the interest of providing users with the most impressive visual experience possible. Google will allocate resources dynamically and instantly within its network of data centers.

Furthermore, everything will be based on Linux. They will also be flexible with APIs and graphics engines; developers will be able to use Unity, Unreal Engine, Havok, Vulkan, or whatever they prefer.

Playing alone is boring

Any video game must, without exception, implement a robust multiplayer mode . Games with just a story mode are a thing of the past; now, multiplayer is essential. The challenge for developers is having the necessary servers and optimal redundancy to prevent crashes. Google wants Stadia to eliminate that problem and the user limitations . They want Battle Royale games, for example, to have hundreds or thousands of participants simultaneously, without any issues.

To achieve all this, Google Stadia will have a direct connection between the ISP providing the service (Movistar, Euskaltel, Vodafone, or whichever it may be) and its network. They want to isolate this traffic from the conventional internet, which is why it passes through multiple nodes. Eliminating all these intermediate steps significantly reduces ping and a number of unnecessary protocols and slowdowns.

The goal is 'low latency and perfect synchronization' . You don't want an opponent to pass you and you to take two seconds or more to fire. It has to be as if the game were running on your computer.

Each user thus has their own instance within the Data Center, managing the Stream in a variety of ways. For example, it allows one or more screens for each player, linked to their stream or to others. Stream Connect , as it's called, is essentially the 21st-century version of multi-screen gaming within Google Stadia.

Multiplayer gaming

Crowd Play and State Share are described as key multiplayer features. The goal is to scale to as many players as possible within Stadia. Players can easily and instantly exchange game progress, time, and state with other users, and continue playing from anywhere, at any time. A complete revolution in gameplay. And all of this with public streaming on YouTube.

'Create + Share + Engadge' is the name given to this system. Clearly, Google has the tools to offer a different form of entertainment. YouTube will be a fundamental part. But the company emphasizes something: 'the entire internet' will be Stadia's store.

We can see any game and if it is in the portfolio to play it. We can insert a link in any part of the network so that they come to our game. Any user can communicate with us. Everyone is welcome.