Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 21 November 2019
Muted launch for Google's game-

streaming service Stadia

By MAE ANDERSON own. Unlike Google, they Google says it is tapping
AP Technology Writer also have decades of ex- its massive data centers to
NEW YORK (AP) — Google's perience negotiating with power the system.
new game-streaming ser- game publishers and navi- From a technological front,
vice Stadia demonstrates gating the gaming industry. Stadia impresses, said Ran-
the possibilities of gaming Microsoft's $10-a-month dy Nelson, head of mobile
from the cloud, but experts Xbox Game Pass lets play- insights at analytic firm Sen-
say it's hindered by a lack ers download more than sor Tower.
of compelling video games 100 games on the Xbox But elsewhere, Stadia falls
and a convoluted pricing console at no additional short. He said there is a This undated photo provided by Google shows a controller that
scheme. cost. The company is also disconnect between the is part of a video-game streaming platform called Stadia that
Piers Harding-Rolls, head working on a streaming hard-core gaming audi- Google is launching on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019.
of games research at IHS service, Project xCloud, ence that Google appears Associated Press
Markit, called Tuesday's though few details are to be targeting, and the
launch more of a public available. Sony's PlaySta- few compelling games ac-
beta test than an actual tion Now, also at $10 a tually available.
debut. He said the real test month, or $60 a year, lets "Gylt," a fantasy horror ad-
will come next year, when users stream or download venture game, is the ser-
Stadia begins to compete games on its PlayStation 4 vice's only new exclusive ti-
with new video game con- console or a personal com- tle. Other games available
soles due out from Sony puter. at launch include "Shadow
and Microsoft. Stadia, on the other hand, of the Tomb Raider," "Mor-
"It is not at the moment a isn't meant for the console. tal Kombat," "Just Dance
challenger to console com- But it requires a PC with 2020" and "Destiny 2" — but
panies or PC gaming," he Google's Chrome browser all of these are available
said. "At this stage it is really or a Google-made device on other game platforms,
about getting the product — a Chromebook laptop, too.
into market and into hands a Chromecast TV stream- "It does seem to be a bit
of consumers." ing device or a Pixel phone. of a bare-bones launch In this July 16, 2019, file photo, Ernie Field pushes the doorbell
Google can learn from that It won't work with other to get this service out the on his Ring doorbell camera at his home in Wolcott, Conn.
and fine-tune the service phones using the compa- door," Nelson said. "Hope- Associated Press
as it grows and competi- ny's Android operating sys- fully Google will expand it Senators press Amazon
tion intensifies, he said. tem, or on iPhones, for now. over time."
Much like movies and mu- The service will eventually Nelson said Google's ap- over doorbell camera
sic, the traditional video- cost $10 a month, but it's proach is odd because it
those who bought a $130 ers who probably already security concerns
game industry has been currently available only to targets hard-core gam-
shifting from physical hard-
ware and games to digital bundle that includes a have a console or PC, as By MATT O'BRIEN Besides citing the report,
downloads and stream- three-month subscription. well as many of the games AP Technology Writer the senators noted that
ing. Such an approach lets The service currently offers on offer, rather than trying A group of Democratic Ring devices routinely
gamers play from a vari- 22 games — most carrying to reach more mainstream U.S. senators is question- store video recordings
ety of devices, picking up a separate fee. For exam- or casual users who don't ing Amazon about the and other data on Ama-
where they left off as they ple, the adventure game want to invest a few hun- security of its Ring door- zon servers.
switch, without having to "Red Dead Redemption 2" dred dollars in a console. bell cameras following re- "If hackers or foreign ac-
buy expensive equipment. starts at $60. "There's certainly a missed ports that some Ukraine- tors were to gain access
Tech companies such as Apple is also getting into opportunity here to posi- based employees had to this data, it would not
Google are trying to estab- the game-subscription tion Stadia as a gateway access to video footage only threaten the privacy
lish a foothold early — even business with Apple Ar- to console-style gaming for from customers' homes. and safety of the impact-
with some kinks — before cade. The $5-a-month ser- casual and mobile play- A letter to Amazon ed Americans; it could
streaming becomes as es- vice lets users download a ers," Nelson said. Wednesday from Sen. also threaten U.S. na-
tablished in gaming as Net- variety of games to play on Also, consumers might be Ron Wyden of Oregon tional security," the sena-
flix is in video and Spotify in iPhones and iPads. Games confused about pricing. and four other Demo- tors wrote. "Personal data
music. don't cost extra. Apple Ar- Google sold "Founder's Edi- crats said the internet- can be exploited by for-
The benefits go beyond cade lets people down- tion" bundles in advance, connected devices may eign intelligence services
subscription revenue. While load games to play offline, but is now offering a "Pre- pose national security to amplify the impact of
Stadia itself won't have ads. but Stadia does not. miere Edition" bundle for concerns. espionage and influence
Google will try to tie Stadia Google is competing on this the same price and ben- News site The Intercept operations."
with its other services, like front, too, with a separate efits. Besides a three-month reported in January that The senators asked the
YouTube and its digital as- subscription called Google subscription, the bundle Ring employees in the company to explain its
sistant. Ultimately, as more Play Pass. The $5-a-month offers a Chromecast Ultra U.S. and Ukraine had ac- practices to address se-
people use Google ser- service gives users access streaming device and a cess to personal data curity vulnerabilities.
vices, the company can to about 350 games and controller. from cameras around Ring says it's reviewing
collect more data on user apps on Android devices. A stand-alone monthly the world. The report said the letter.
habits and show more ads Video game streaming typ- subscription won't be avail- Ring gave a variety of Sens. Ed Markey of Mas-
targeted to those interests. ically requires a strong con- able until 2020. A free ver- employees and execu- sachusetts, Chris Van Hol-
But these tech companies nection and more com- sion will also be available tives access to recorded len of Maryland, Christo-
must compete with gam- puting power than simply then. And while games are and sometimes live video pher Coons of Delaware
ing stalwarts Sony and Mi- streaming video, as there sold separately, the price footage from customers' and Gary Peters of Michi-
crosoft, both of which have is real-time interaction be- depends on which level of homes. gan joined the letter.q
streaming ambitions of their tween player and game. service the gamer has. q