There was some speculation prior to Google Stadia’s announcement this week that the tech giant was preparing a console that would compete directly with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As it happens, it revealed a product potentially more threatening: a cloud-based service running on top of YouTube, which will allow games to be played anywhere, anytime – assuming you have a decent Internet connection.
Who’s spearheading the project? A man who has a long history in the games industry: ex-Sony executive Phil Harrison. And he’s very clear that Google has no interest in releasing a physical box, because he believes Stadia represents the beginning of the end for the console as a concept. “We are absolutely firm that we are not, will not, and will never release a console,” he told Games Industry.biz.
While Harrison is clear that the origins of the industry must never be forgotten – “Without that rich history […] we wouldn't be stood here today,” he noted – the veteran does believe that this is the beginning of the end for stationary devices. “The whole world isn't going to shift to that new model overnight, and it will take time for us to realise every aspect of the promise,” he added. “But it's a fundamental and, I passionately believe, an inevitable and one-way direction that the industry is moving.”
Right now, it does feel like the future of gaming is probably in the cloud, but it’s hard to pin a timeline on the transition. Internet infrastructure still isn’t anywhere near good enough to fully support Stadia’s vision, and who knows what kind of paradigm shifts will occur while we wait for it to catch up? Like we said in our reaction piece yesterday, it’s all rather fascinating – but you can pretty much bank on the PlayStation 5 being a physical box that you slot under your television and pop discs inside.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 77
If I were to personify the home console market's reaction to this news it'd be Peter Parker at the end of Infinity War:
"I don't want to go"
" but you can pretty much bank on the PlayStation 5 being a physical box that you slot under your television and pop discs inside."
this is all we need to know.
next.
But it cant be the only future of gaming, because then we stifle the audience instead of grow it. Some places will simply never have internet necessary for it, because the infrastructure is far too costly to implement and ISPs know it. It's why it's taken so long to get even here. And sure you can say 5G, but that comes with caps on data plans and is going to be rather costly you can guarantee.
Plus, locking out consumer choice will forever be a no. That's the problem.
You can talk about it being the future, but it can't be THE future. You'd lose more than you'd grow.
So PS5 will be my last gameconsole im going to miss gaming. Thanks Playstation i had a blast.
One thing is certain i wont be with Google. 😁
All I'll say is that companies have been banging on about the death of traditional consoles for years. It's a very tired song and dance at this point, even if the digital shift does point to eventual change.
Guess if it goes this way, with streaming and never being able to officially own a game, then I'll be done. I'd rather own the game with it's artwork case, own a movie (I don't buy movies online like that), own music (sorry I Tunes, you don't officially own the song). Sorry to say, I may be old school in this, but there's no way I'll only stream. And sony should know that it won't work and shouldn't be too worried...they're the ones that made the PSP Go and Playstation TV, and we all know how those two turned out!!!!
Harrison talks like the Stadia is already a huge financial success when it was just shown off a few days ago.
@ShogunRok And those people never seem to look at how much the PS4 has sold in consoles, or even the Switch. I think it'll be a long time before it all just goes to streaming. Seems like the ages of people from 30 up won't do just streaming and want the retail physical part, so until they step out of gaming (I'm 39), then it won't be a big part of gaming.
The Google datacenters use as much power as the whole of the Netherlands. Where are you going to get to power to stream every highgame for the world?
@jdv95 We are safe for atleast one generation. 🤓
@ShogunRok To be fair it's a topic that only really comes up as a generation is coming to an end, but before new hardware is announced.
@JLPick You'd think it would benefit Sony hugely not to have to manufacture and ship consoles. I dont know the specifics with regard to the PS4 but my understand is generally the consoles themselves make a loss for so many years and they rely on accessories and software to make up the difference. Theoretically they can package a streaming service at a great rate cutting out all that nonsense.
The PS5 will be a physical console, and for me that’s all I need to worry about right now. I will play on the console for its lifecycle, likely 7+ years. We’ll see what the future holds afterwards, but I’ll cross that bridge when it gets here.
@Flaming_Kaiser well, right now people are powering their consoles from home instead. So all that power will just be more centralised.
@kyleforrester87 Yeah, you're spot on. It's the overhanging uncertainty that fuels the conversation.
"assuming you have a decent Internet connection"
Why do I keep hearing a needle scratch in this part?
Not afraid of anyone using English like “we wouldn’t be stood here today”.
@NintendoFan4Lyf Good points - I suppose there is the potential for a huge shake up of that industry that could result in major companies going under. Of course advanced hardware will still be needed, can Sony do that stuff in-house?
He's right, and I'm saying this as someone who owns more than one console from both Sony and Nintendo. The Stadia platform itself will only appeal to certain contingents (the most interesting of which to watch are those who don't have a console at all right now, but have the Internet capabilities), especially from the outset, but gradually it will be experimented with and progress will be made. In its own way, it may be what the NES was for the 80s and the PS1 was for the 90s for the 2020s, an eventual new standard of thinking when it comes to making games.
Within the next five years, we will see variations of the PS5, Switch, and the XB1 successor that don't use physical media. They won't be the only options, but they'll be there.
It's Phil Harrison. That automatically allows anyone to disregard whatever he says.
this Joker still getting work he will be at apple stream launch in 5 years singing the same song.
this is the future Google want & sure some others but we don't have to play ball.
Google really thinks because it has a bit of might it can dictate something it has done nothing to build! not going to ditch the guys who fought to get gaming where it is now for Google simple as that for me.
Roll on the next console launch cannot wait to have a new box.
starting to see why certain companies would love Single Player games gone it plays with this agenda.
That's up to Google and others to convince people of that but people thought consoles would be dead around the turn of this decade and there still here.
It is the future. Manufacturers want it, even publishers sort of want it (though I worry about how titles will be montetized in future), even most consumers want it (i.e. the people who rarely bought dvd's but all have netflix). The question is when it is a viable replacement. I think 2019 is too early but at the same time, if the tech works for even 25% of players then there is money to be made.
Given the lukewarm reception I've seen towards Stadia so far, something tells me console aren't on their way out just yet.
the only that's nearly over is his hairline.no way physical disc is here to stay.word up son
Yes this isn’t really a ‘console killer’ in the immediate future...but my concern is the impact in games it will have. If we move towards Netflix style streaming, what are game companies going to make? Stuff like GOW that you only would need to get a one month subscription for and then cancel, or Destiny style games that would keep someone subscribed with ongoing content for months?
Yes my PS5 will be physical and Sony will give me great single player games...but will the market shift even more down the road to games as a service and streaming with subscription and low quality games?
Most of the continental U.S. doesn't have the infrastructure required for this sort of thing to be so viable that it replaces machines directly wired to our display devices. People can yap on about this being "the future" all they like, but there is a massive portion of the market here that will never be able to transition over to streaming their video games to a degree of quality that they consider acceptable.
Also, as has been mentioned, journalists eulogize the traditional home console every time some new tech thing happens, and console hardware is more popular than ever.
I'm sure the industry will continue to change and evolve over time. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see an eventual shift toward hybrid systems dominating the market. But the doom'n'gloom about streaming replacing traditional console hardware is lazy.
To put this into perspective, it's extremely unlikely to catch on as much as video streaming has, and it's crucial to note that, even in the case like that, where streaming services have revolutionized the industry, physical media manufacturers are still around. Blu-rays and DVDs and devices designed to play them still flood the market. Even if game streaming really caught on, there's no evidence that it would mean the "end of the console as a concept." If anything, the evidence in other industries points to the exact opposite conclusion.
Even in the absolute worst case scenario of streaming and downloads almost completely supplanting physical media, as happened with the music industry... it didn't eradicate CDs from the earth. They're still around, and many artists do quite well with their CD sales.
Even in the most extreme example, there's no replacing physical media completely. Which means, no, however console tech changes over time, it won't be eradicated as a concept, and will thrive as long as people exist who want to play on them.
I will quote someone on reddit.
“Google doesn't make money through search, it makes money through ads. Likewise, Stadia will be an advertisement platform first and a gaming platform second. Do not kid yourself; this is how Google works, and that is how it will be.”
@Ralizah " but there is a massive portion of the market here that will never be able to transition over to streaming their video games to a degree of quality that they consider acceptable."
I really don't understand that statement to be honest, how can anyone look at what's happened over the past 30 years and still rule out what's suggested in this article with 100% certainty? It makes no sense to me.
@darkswabber A fun quote perhaps but how does that translate, exactly? More product placement in video games? I mean, we aren't going to just stream adverts without any of the "game" element.
I wanna go back to when "the future" was just losing discs and having everything purchased on the digital stores.
I’m old...I don’t like it...get off my lawn
In other words:
https://www.pointandclickbait.com/2019/03/except-noobs-online-amirite/
@playstation1995 "no way physical disc is here to stay"
And from the article: "and pop discs inside"
Are we still so sure PS5 will use discs? I know Nintendo has failed on occasion w/ their limited cart size, but Sony has made their own carts in the past w/ the Duo line. And MS is rumored to have a discless Xbox.
I'd prefer physical media, but games are getting too big for discs - see RDR2 - and that game that had a 90GB Day 1 patch DESPITE being on disc. What's the point of buying discs if we have to then download everything anyway? I don't want an all digital future, but who's to say. Personally Id' like all my games on USB 3.0 thumb drives, they should be fast enough, and easy to put in and take out - Switch carts are nuisance - though I know they'd add to the price. But since so many AAA games are sold in collectors editions anyway, just modify all the USB drives into something people want to justify the cost.
@Flaming_Kaiser "Where are you going to get to power to stream every highgame for the world?"
Cow farts.
First we talk ms fps and crap like that then we are ready to broadband our games. Get a life peaple. I'll be too old by then. Have a good one
Seriously though I want the option to at least download and keep it without the game being taken away. I’m worried about losing control. I don’t want to have to worry about bandwidth, outages just so I can play.
@Stragen8
I agree. Thats been my feeling for a while. A focus on games streaming means more forgetable games, sort of fast food vs restaurant.
Hmm i think it's part of the future sure, but the only option going forward ? not so likely
Even if the 'big three' decide to go all in on streaming that would still result in other companies coming in and offering a more traditional console box i believe, the demand for it will always be there so companies will not pass up the chance to make money on that market, especially if it looks like they might have it all to themselves.
@rjejr not gonna happen dog.ps5 will be only physical disc.so will ps6 and 7.word up son
@kyleforrester87 I don't feel 100% certain about anything, but, barring some massive, multi-billion dollar project to update the nation's information infrastructure, this is just the truth of the matter.
As for ruling out what's suggested in the article... we've been here, done this before. As I said, even industries utterly revolutionized by streaming services still have physical media and devices designed to run said physical media. The idea that consoles are going to die out as a concept due to something like this doesn't hold water.
In a thousand years, might consoles be a distant memory? Maybe. More likely, everything will be a distant memory after climate change, energy shortages, migration challenges, and overpopulation wreak havoc on the tender fabric of our modern civilizations. But over the short span of time we have left to be alive? I think it's a very shallow analysis.
Phil Harrison. One of the people directly responsible for PS3 launch disaster. Then the even more infamous Xbox One itself. I wouldn't trust anything he says.
@Ralizah Fair enough - from my perspective there is a good chance a substantial number of people will regularly stream video games by 2030. Beyond that, I wouldn't put money on anything.
I think It’s so funny Nintendo and Sony’s shares fell 4% after the announcement. A bit of an overreaction from the market if you ask me. I really don’t see Stadia having much effect on PS4 or Switch sales.
@NintendoFan4Lyf I doubt cloud gaming will be generalised anytime soon. Internet connection are still a problem, PC gaming will probably always exist and mobility will allow portable/hybrid consoles to survive.
But if the worst was to happen and cloud gaming killed any other form of gaming, those servers would still need computing power so GPU manufacturers would still be around.
This will be an on-going cost too. I think that people will want to own games. Hardcore gamers will want to have a real console, and a number of casuals won’t want to keep paying for there 4 games a generation.
@playstation1995 i would not go that far yet.
i think there is a very good chance that the ps6 will offer a version with a disc drive and a version for digital content only.
heck maybe the ps5 will get a digital only version some years after the disc drive version has released.
and i don't mind that. options are good,it's only when people talk about streaming or digital being be THE future that annoys me because it can't be.
Ok, careful about the way you're thinking, Google! To believe something is the future without thinking about what customers want is a dangerous path.
The market fully believed that desktops and notebooks were going to be completely replaced by tablets a few years ago. Dell purchased the company back from stock market since he believed otherwise, turns out he was right: tablets are pretty much dead while desktops and notebooks are still pretty strong because that is what customers want.
IMO, if PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox keep doing their thing, this whole Scadia is gonna go down faster than Titanic. You see, customers actually want these systems, ultimately games are what move them, not hi-tech (see Xbox One vs PlayStation 4).
i think not having consoles will be financial suicide for many publishers. instead of say 5m buying your game at $60, they could all subscribe to a particular service for a couple of weeks and complete it.. this is not a viable financial model for massive AAA projects that cost $100m+. if it's the future, i think it's going to fundamentally change the style of games that are developed, and not for the better.. that's if sheer avarice doesn't ruin these services in the first place.
@Rudy_Manchego Try less than 5%. It's nowhere near viable.
@jdv95 Agreed. There will never be enough people with sufficient speed AND reliable enough connection to make streaming viable over physical or even digital, at least not in our lifetimes.
The future will offer amazing ways for advertising campaigns while you play. Just imagine doing some sht in GTA and a Gillette guy turns up, 'not cool, not cool'. The best a gamer can be. Haha
Hmmm... If a powerful £3000 PC can't stream online perfectly without game installation and HDD, what amazing affordable console tech will provide us blockbuster precision, graphics, sound and gameplay soon? This better be real else its another 'cloud gaming is the beast' lol.
I'm sure the all streaming future will happen eventually, albeit over a lengthy period of time. I remember using dial up internet just 20 years ago, could never have envisioned the speeds we have nowadays back then so in another 20 years I'm sure infrastructures will have changed dramatically. Just like Horses and carts, oil lanterns, high street shops, analogue broadcasting etc, consoles will eventually become obsolete. Everything evolves. Personally I'd give up gaming moving forward, there's a big enough backlog to keep me going. Future generations will embrace it because they'll know no different.
It will be the manufacturers and publishers dream for a future like this; total control and no resales/piracy.
I find it a classic solution, if you want to play those MEGA AAA titles, but the PS4 or Xbox is already being used. Most of them are not on the Switch—what to do? Wait is not an option.
Stadia might fix that issue. Yes, I know GeForce Now is more than a viable solution already, but in my case, I have to move it from my home theater setup. Chromecast Ultra is a better portable device.
@playstation1995 "ps6 and 7"
Maybe, maybe, the PS6 will have discs, but I cant' see any scenario 12 years from now where the PS7, if there even is 1, has discs. It may just be a streaming device, or it may be a handheld like the Switch, but I just don't see discs being viable, or preferred, 12 years from now.
Have you seen the new X1 SAD? (mock-up, but probably real)
@Knuckles-Fajita Exactly. I live on the outskirts of a pretty small town. My only options for internet are all satellite. After 2 years I played SFV online for the first time last week when I was visiting my parents. If gaming goes all streaming, I'm out.
@rjejr well that's Microsoft.they been pushing that all digital for a while now.playstation is a different animal.they know what makes them successfull.why do you think ps4 have so many epic single player games.and Microsoft don't.x box is soft.clever joke.haha.word up son
@rjejr 12 years from now will be ps6.if ps5 release next year.it will have a 7 or 9 years tops.so the 3 years left will be ps6 so I'm nas Escobar idiomatic.haha.word up son
Screw that noise, I'll keep my products thank you very much.
What happens when Google's Orwellian censorship policies can pull games from the face of the earth? Fight these clowns, the ability to own media is at stake.
@rjejr I guess you dont understand what i mean how will you save nature with a unending power need. 😉
Yes don’t forget this donut tried to sell us PlayStation home as if was the second coming of Christ. What that turned out to be. He’s obviously just seeing his big fat pay cheque from google. Not interested, I want hardware, ownership of games. I thought downloading was bad but streaming no thanks.
While there will be game streaming, it doesn't necessarily have to replace physical consoles. The games industry will still be driven by games and Google has nothing game wise that can threaten Sony or Nintendo's dominance.
It's all big talk. I know I have no interest at all in their new platform, if you can call it that.
I've enough of a backlog to do me forever anyway.
The guy is mad, if it became streaming only i would find another hobby... No thanks
I don't want google to see "the future of gaming" from google, I think they don't "get" gaming, they only got the tech.
Besides, do we really want the future where games can disappear in a flash because devs can't pay the cost of google server? It's like if all games suddenly become mmo that will gone if it's not popular anymore. Say goodbye to most indies games if this is the future of gaming since I don't think they can pay the upkeep cost to host their games on google server.
The end is definitely nigh for traditional consoles whether we like it or not. I can’t remember the last time I bought a DVD or music CD, I certainly don’t own a DVD/CD player. These days we can watch Netflix, YouTube and use Spotify, iTunes etc through multiple devices anywhere at anytime.
It looks like the PS5 will be one of the last gaming consoles we will see before it will have to adapt and do exactly what Google are doing with Stadia but I seriously doubt it will be as big as they are now in the gaming industry unless they keep producing top quality exclusives but even then I think the majority of gamers who will be streaming will most likely be playing MP games.
@playstation1995 @playstation1995 "they know what makes them successfull"
Is that why they made a UMD for the PSP and a super expensive cart for the Vita? 😂
Though I suppose the UMD was a disc, so you win that argument.
If the PS6 will be 12 years from now, man I really don't need to worry about the PS7 then, way past my time. Heck the rate Sony is making us wait the PS5 may be past my time.
1 week to opening day and I still don't have a way to watch, that's the streaming I really need to be focused on right now. #LGM
@Flaming_Kaiser The Matrix?
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-25/japan-matrix-now-reality-humans-are-used-living-batteries
@rjejr I'm talking about home console.playstation is still the best console ever.better than Nintendo.word up son
@Axelay71 Please watch the language from now on. Thanks
Oh please!! Get over yourself.
@3MonthBeef
Good for devs?
Thats the thing though. On what basis will small studio get paid? On how many hours their games are played? Doesn't seem all that great. Not even talking of Google sensorship.
The idea of Stadia is amazing and the sounds like the future. The reality of crappy internet even developed countries will put the kibosh on the whole thing though. Google made everything sound far too good to be true.
If Sony can't even make their own streaming service viable on current connections, how will Google manage it AND let me do it through my phone and TV? I call marketing bs. Hope I'm wrong though cos I'm still excited to hear more.
Hopefully this stadia service pulls all the casuals out of gaming and leave sony and Nintendo to target the hardcore audience. Ps2/XB generation golden age lol
@NintendoFan4Lyf I never seen stuff getting better if there is one company who only benefits. All the wealth is with a few people and that will only make it worse. And the worst companies around are the big ones. Amazon, Apple and its not like they are honest they will make us bleed for it.
I have always liked and will always like to own my games and consoles, as I believe, most gamers do. It has nothing to do with gaming in itself, we're just wired like that. So, in a way, this streaming nonsense goes against basic human nature. It has to be stopped.
Count me out. The day I can’t physically own my games and console, playing without the internet, is the day I’m done with gaming for good.
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