Michael Pachter Weighs in on Google Stadia
Just last week Google announced their brand new game streaming platform Stadia that’s set to drop later this year for PC with Google Chrome, TVs with Chromecast and Google Pixel devices. Unsurprisingly there are those that are a little apprehensive about whether the service will work or not.
The reason for this apprehension is that there’s a lot about Stadia that hasn’t yet been announced other than the fact that it’s quite ambitious. As it stands right now Google hasn’t revealed how much Stadia will be priced at, what sort of model it will follow or what games will be available to play at launch. Industry analyst Michael Pachter recently talked to GamingBolt about the big reveal from Google and mentioned that the lack of clear information at this point could suggest that there is no proper business model being considered for Stadia currently.
Additionally he stated that it would be more beneficial for Statia to adopt a model where consumers can purchase the games permanently instead of one based on subscriptions. Here’s what he had to say, “Initially, it appears there is no business model. It is clear that games will be available to stream, but it isn’t clear whether the consumer will buy the game, pay for a subscription, or stream games on a ‘rental’ basis based on time. I think the first option is the most likely, and would drive the greatest interest among publishers, as it is like iTunes. The other options are less likely to attract publisher support, but the lack of granularity suggests to me that Google is still thinking about its business model.”
When asked about how he felt about Stadia’s technical specs and whether the possible lack of infrastructure could impact Stadia, Pachter stated that he wasn’t an expert on either of the matters however there shouldn’t be a concern about this. He commented that the competition of the PS5 and the next Xbox will be enough to drive the tech aspects moving forward.
What do you think about the Stadia? Would you prefer a subscription based model or the ability to permanently purchase the games offered? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to keep it locked for updates!