Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 7 June 2019
Google's challenge to game consoles to kick off in November

By MAE ANDERSON already have a console to
NEW YORK (AP) — Google play games Google is offer-
will kick off its Stadia stream- ing. Casual gamers, mean-
ing service to challenge while, might be confused
the video game industry by a monthly subscription
in November — but initially package that still requires
only as part of a $130 bun- players to buy games indi-
dle that includes hardware vidually.
and a pass for a friend. "They might have been bet-
Google announced the ter served to let this bake a
game service in March with little longer and introduce it
few details. On Thursday, closer to the next genera-
Google said it will start ad- tion of consoles," expected
vance sales for the limited around 2021, Nelson said.
"Founder's Edition" bundles Stadia's "Founder's Edition"
right away, though it isn't package includes three
saying how many are avail- months of service and a
able. Google won't offer three-month buddy pass
stand-alone subscriptions, that someone else can
for $10 a month, until next use. It'll come with a limited
year. edition controller and a
Stadia is Google's attempt Chromecast Ultra stream-
to make traditional video ing video device. Google
game consoles such as the says the whole package is
Xbox and PlayStation obso- worth about $300 but costs
lete. $130. It will be available in
Games are stored online, 14 countries at launch, in-
and players can pick up cluding the U.S., Canada,
where they left off on tra- This undated image provided by Google shows the controller for a video-game streaming plat- U.K., France and Germany.
ditional computers with form called Stadia. Next year, Google will offer
Google's Chrome brows- Associated Press Stadia Pro for $10 a month
ers and Chromebooks and a free version, Stadia
running Chrome OS. Play- soles have their own sub- game. Google says it is tap- impressive, but there's no Base. With the free version,
ers can also use Google's scription services as well, ping its massive data cen- "killer app" or game that resolution will be lower, and
Pixel phones, but not other while Apple plans one this ters to power the system. would make the service in- players won't get discount
phones with the company's fall. The U.S. video game The service will mainly let dispensable. on games offered through
Android operating system. industry raked in revenue players play games they "We do not expect Stadia Pro and the bundle. An op-
Unlike traditional games, of $43.4 billion in 2018, up buy separately, though over the near-term to be tional Stadia controller will
the streaming service re- 18 percent from 2017, ac- some free games will be particularly disruptive to sell for $69.
quires a constant internet cording to research firm offered. Stadia will launch the traditional console or The Wi-Fi-enabled control-
connection to play. NPD Group. with about 30 games to PC game ecosystem," Se- ler has a button that lets
Much like movies and mu- Video game streaming typ- buy, including "Doom Eter- bastian said. players tap Google Assis-
sic, the traditional video ically requires a strong con- nal," ''Assassin's Creed Od- Randy Nelson, head of tant to ask questions about
game industry has been nection and more com- yssey" and "Wolfenstein: mobile insights at analytic the games being played.
shifting from physical hard- puting power than simply Youngblood." firm Sensor Tower, said that Another button lets users
ware and games to digital streaming video, since R.W. Baird analyst Colin while Stadia appears po- share gameplay directly to
downloads and streaming. there is real-time interac- Sebastian said Google's sitioned to go after hard- Google's video streaming
The makers of leading con- tion between player and streaming technology is core gamers, most of them service, YouTube.q

Amazon says drones will be

making deliveries in 'months'

Amazon said its new drones carry goods that weigh up ministration, which regu-
use computer vision and to 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms), lates commercial use of
machine learning to de- like a paperback or tooth- drones in the U.S., did not
tect and avoid people or paste. immediately respond to
clotheslines in backyards Amazon has been work- a request for comment
when landing. ing on drone delivery for Wednesday. In April, a

This undated image provided by Amazon shows one of the "From paragliders to power years. Back in December subsidiary of search giant
company's delivery drones. lines to a corgi in the back- 2013, Amazon CEO and Google won approval from
Associated Press yard, the brain of the drone founder Jeff Bezos told the the FAA to make drone de-
has safety covered," said "60 Minutes" news show liveries in parts of Virginia.
By JOSEPH PISANI to shoppers' home in the Jeff Wilke, who oversees that drones would be flying Wilke said that the compa-
AP Retail Writer coming months. Amazon's retail business. to customer's homes within ny is working with several
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ama- The online shopping giant Wilke said the drones are five years. But that dead- regulatory agencies to get
zon said Wednesday that did not give exact timing fully electric, can fly up to line passed due to regula- approval.
it plans to use self-piloted or say where the drones will 15 miles (24 kilometers), tory hurdles. "We expect to do it within
drones to deliver packages be making deliveries. deliver in 30 minutes and The Federal Aviation Ad- months," he said.q