The Gamers Arms

what ?

Than...computer says no.

The paid version, Stadia Pro, is the only way to get 4K, 60fps, HDR streaming from the service and will cost $9.99 (£8.99, $11.99 CAD, or €9.99) per month. Though subscribers will still have to purchase games at full price to play and own them, Pro members will receive discounts on games not available for users of the free service, as well as occasional free games beginning with Destiny 2 and its new Shadowkeep expansion. Games received for free will remain in the user's library as long as they are Pro members, will be removed if their subscription lapses, but will return if the subscription is renewed.

I take it all back. This is stupid. This is the same model that killed OnLive. You have to buy the game twice.

I have to confess that is almost bait and switch or really bad marketing by Google.

https://venturebeat.com/2019/06/06/goog ... a-console/

What do you mean, buying games twice?

You buy the game on their store then have to pay the subscription fee to play them I think?

No, you don't need to pay that subscription cost to play; that's just for the 4k option. There isn't a fee to use the 1080p service. It does sound like the subscription will allow you to access the service earlier; the free option won't be available until next year.

If the toss up between buying a game on new console and playing on your 4K TV or buying the game with Stadia and than having to buy a subscription to play the game on your 4K TV, you are essentially buying it more than once. Right ? You are not going to be a Pro member to play your games on an 11'' tablet. You will become a Pro member to access 4K on your TV. I mean why else would you become a Pro ?

The PS4 Pro will drop in cost when the PS5 ships in November next year, so lets say £250

£250 buys you 27 months of Pro membership. So in a space of 2 years of Pro membership you could have bought a gaming console. I am spit balling here. At the end of the day I do not think Google really cares that much. Last night I got a message from them that they will shelve Google Travel. So if Stadia does not make money, they will ditch it, like they always do.

So if you're paying anything above the purchase price of the game, you're buying it twice? I don't really agree with the logic. The fee is for higher quality streaming. That's what the subscription price is for. I'm certainly not defending the practice, I hasten to add (£9 a month is a bit steep for what it sounds like it gets you), but I think saying you're buying it twice is just incorrect. Do you buy a game twice if you pay for XBox Live or PS Plus to play online?

Anyway, I really don't think the possibility of losing your games collection at an undisclosed point in the future is really worth it for the benefits this service offers. They'll doubtless offer a free trial at some point which I may give a try, but I really can't see it being a positive-enough experience to replace owning the hardware.

I think the fact that they championed how you would be able to play games at 4K with HDR on any device and then ask you to buy the game and then pay for a subscription to do so is kind of rubbish. Also surround sound should not be a subscription level thing.

Says it all. They also quoted my ex-colleague, Mat



I still am very confused on their pricing model. What exactly does the Pro get you - access to all games or just a selected few ? No one really knows. The marketing by Google regards this has been awful

I more excited with Xbox XCloud offering - we will find out tomorrow

Pro gets you access to 4K, HDR and surround sound in your games and access to a catalogue of older games which they haven't talked about.

thanks ! (i mean it - thanks as I was genuinely confused)

Yea thought this was going the same way as the others. I'd rather own the games than pay subs for it but I don't pay a subs for antyiing anymore as I like to play the games I pay for indefinitely.

PC Gamer did some sums and apparently around 65 hours of 4K gaming will consume 1TB of data...

https://www.pcgamer.com/stadia-4k-strea ... -65-hours/

Am I the only one who thinks this all sounds fine?

3 hours a night for five days a week sounds like a very decent amount of gaming and I doubt this is really aimed at the super-hardcore gaming market. Sure, the segment that likes to play games a lot, but I mean, there's a tier above that who want to build their own rig and £10 a month versus anywhere from £1k to £2k for a new rig sounds like a pretty solid deal.

I don't see how people can complain about buying the games either - the exact same thing could be said for any of the online stores. If Steam/Epic/GoG/whatever go bust or get shut down then I lose all my games on there too.

You don't lose any games bought from GOG. I have mines backed up on some DVD's and Bluray discs for instance as they have no DRM and if Steam was to go down. Valve have already said they would allow you to download the games without needing steam to run them from then on. Then you just burn them to disc or have on your hardrive.