Report: Google Working On Game Streaming Service

[The Deadman]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...g-service.aspx

Google might be working on a cloud-based streaming service that would function similarly to things like PlayStation Now, according to a report from The Information.

The Information reports that Google has been floating the idea, codenamed Yeti, for two years now and is close to possible hardware. The service could also just stream to Chromecasts, which would offer a built-in install base of 55 million units already, according to the latest figures.

The idea behind the service would not differ from existing cloud-based avenues for gaming, where the hardware exists on the provider end and streams to the end user. Under the perfect conditions, the player doesn't notice a difference from physical hardware, or at least that is the ideal. Sony purchased streaming service Gaikai and leveraged their technology for PlayStation Now.

We speculated last month that Phil Harrison joining Google was likely part of a gaming initiative and, if Google plans to use this for original content and not merely as a portal to the Google Play Store, Harrison is likely the man to help shepherd it.

[sdp]

Gamers get so defensive when it comes to changing their idea of what gaming is. I've said it many times that streaming is the future of gaming and that we're going for a console less future but they won't see trends and just post random statistics as if they were futurist or actual CEOs.


Obviously these things will be gradual, just like we still get physical releases of movies but clearly the money is now on streaming them instead but no one will say that physical movies are more popular than streaming and yet it took years for people to admit this.