"...There is a universe of people who love playing games and there's a universe of people who love watching games."

 At Google's GDC 2019, the tech giant revealed its dedicated streaming service, Stadia, a digital platform that aims to blend both gaming and streaming into a more free-flowing and easy service. The dawning of the digital age has been speculated by many pundits and execs have spoke about its prospects, namely Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot who spoke glowingly about the capabilities for companies and developers in an interview last June. It looks like that time is now. In 2018, Project Stream displayed how Assassin's Creed Odyssey ran at 1080p and a fluid 60fps, and virtually rendering load times to a mere several seconds. It received universal praise.

It's only appropriate that the passing of time will allow this to become the standard model for which games are played. The Xbox One experimented with cloud gaming and it was scoffed at, people didn't think it should be taken seriously. There are more ways to experience gaming than on a console now, it may reach a point not too far from now where that mode of tech becomes antiquated. The costs to manufacture the hardware AND the hardware's inability to upgrade itself with each new generation is something many companies would love to veer from. Downloading and install times aren't charming quirks, they hinder the gaming experience. 

My personal feelings are slightly mixed. Digital streaming comes with perks, but providing the games are made readily available at all times will ultimately determine certain things. There was that cool Scott Pilgrim vs The World brawler that was only available through streaming services, but once it went down, the game was gone. Providing there's a manner of preserving the works, I'll feel much better about that aspect. And perhaps the most controversial (depending on who you speak to), this possibly spells an eventual end to physical copies of games. I won't get too long-winded (eye roll), but since most games aren't complete on the disc you purchase via retail, how much will this practice be missed? On the other hand, gamers like having a physical case to place and display on their shelves. I feel it will be like music as time goes forward, we used to buy CDs, but how often does that happen anymore in the age of mp3s and Pandora?

All in all, Goole's Stadia service will homogenize the best aspects of Twitch, gaming, and Youtube into a more direct and engaging platform that will be very interesting to see unfold. And with 5G around the corner, it may aid in seeing a broader reach to the less densely populated areas of the country. Gaming is evolving, and it could be into something special.