{"id":88456,"date":"2019-03-14T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2019\/03\/talking_point_should_nintendo_be_concerned_about_googles_play_for_gamers"},"modified":"2019-03-14T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-03-14T18:00:00","slug":"talking-point-should-nintendo-be-concerned-about-googles-play-for-gamers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/03\/14\/talking-point-should-nintendo-be-concerned-about-googles-play-for-gamers\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking Point: Should Nintendo Be Concerned About Google&#8217;s Play For Gamers?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/708cc99bfcf71\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/708cc99bfcf71\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<aside class=\"object object-youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube\">[youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HJclcGp8K_4?rel=0&amp;hd=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;modestbranding=0&amp;autohide=1&#038;w=900&#038;h=507]<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u2018Gather Around\u2019 everyone, Google commands. Unless you\u2019ve been actively avoiding it, you\u2019ve probably heard about the company\u2019s plans to reveal <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/06\/rumour_google_is_creating_a_gaming_platform_to_rival_switch_ps4_and_xbox\">long-rumoured hardware<\/a> at this year\u2019s Game Developers Conference taking place in San Francisco next week. The latest teaser for the keynote \u2013 the company\u2019s first at GDC since it began attending \u2013 seems to suggest a serious attempt to court console gamers, with highly detailed environments that nod towards a wide range of genres shown as the camera <em>slowly<\/em> approaches a grand, light-filled entrance\u2026<\/p>\n<aside class=\"object object-tweet\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p><span lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We are going to talk about the future of gaming! You can watch it live on 3\/19 at 10AM PDT \u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/L7tIKMW7HF\">https:\/\/t.co\/L7tIKMW7HF<\/a><\/span>\u2014 Rick Osterloh (@rosterloh) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rosterloh\/status\/1105572152017731585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n<p>As teasers go, it\u2019s a good one, casting viewers themselves as \u2018the future of gaming\u2019. That phrase carries the caustic odour of PR, but we\u2019d assume the web giant has better instincts than to prime an audience with hyperbole before unveiling some sort of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ouya\">Android-based box<\/a> that streams mobile games to the telly. All evidence points to something more substantial, and that \u2018Gather Around\u2019 tagline implies some sort of social angle, too.<\/p>\n<p>The exact form the hardware will take is still unknown, and while it could well be a big box of tech along the lines of the Xbox One X, that would feel out of step with the direction the industry is headed. The success of PS4 proves there\u2019s still a huge appetite for a big console running hot under the TV, but Switch has shown that people are also eager for convenient devices that integrate better with their mobile habits.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"picture strip\"><a title=\"PATENT\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/9f49efc79ede4\/patent.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/9f49efc79ede4\/patent.900x.jpg\" alt=\"PATENT\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>With that in mind, it\u2019s arguable that Google\u2019s hardware may resemble a souped-up Home box (the company&#8217;s smart speaker and digital assistant), incorporating elements of its Chromecast dongles; a hub that pairs with a controller (of which <a href=\"http:\/\/pdfaiw.uspto.gov\/.aiw?PageNum=0&amp;docid=20190030425\">a patent surfaced last week<\/a>) designed to stream games running remotely to the TV or to Chrome-enabled devices around the house via its imaginatively titled Project Stream tech.<\/p>\n<p>Naysayers may point to Apple\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/appleinsider.com\/articles\/19\/02\/02\/apples-rumored-gaming-subscription-could-be-a-big-change-for-mobile-gaming\">rumoured subscription-based service<\/a> for App Store games or Amazon Game Studios&#8217; disappointing output despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2019\/1\/10\/18177253\/amazon-cloud-gaming-service-rumor-job-posting\">grand overtures<\/a> for several years and conclude that this announcement is simply marketing fluff. It\u2019s hard to argue that those giant corporations talk the talk when it comes to games, but have largely failed to deliver on their promises; for the most part, PC and console-level experiences remain in those domains. That being the case, should Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft be worried about Google blowing its own trumpet, heralding the future of the medium?<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"CASTLE\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8616f614f1b9f\/castle.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8616f614f1b9f\/castle.original.png\" alt=\"CASTLE\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"CAVERN\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/923c20373e2f0\/cavern.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/923c20373e2f0\/cavern.original.png\" alt=\"CAVERN\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Well, third place Microsoft should probably be most concerned. The company has long been touting the virtues of streaming via its xCloud service and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2019\/02\/rumour_microsoft_plans_to_bring_xbox_app_and_game_pass_to_nintendo_switch\">whispers<\/a> of proposed partnerships with Nintendo, in whatever capacity, suggest it&#8217;s on the back foot already \u2013 the last thing they need is <em>another<\/em> rival platform to consider when underlining the Xbox brand\u2019s Unique Selling Points in its internal PowerPoint presentations.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Sony has done very well this generation by selling a loud and proud \u2018traditional\u2019 console. This no doubt gives the company confidence going forward with plans for PS5, whatever form that will take, safe in the knowledge that it&#8217;s got an excellent foundation to build upon if it can only avoid the hubris that characterised the PS3 launch.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo, we\u2019d argue, is somewhere in the middle. On the face of it, a strong catalogue of IP helps insulate the company to an extent. The success of both 3DS and now Switch provides a tremendous financial cushion, too \u2013 Switch\u2019s inevitable successor could fail horrifically and there\u2019d still be plenty of juice in the tank to rejoin the race.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the biggest threat to the Kyoto company is the social, <em>family<\/em> angle Google seems to be playing, and the fact that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2006\/02\/step_into_the_blue_ocean\">Blue Ocean strategy<\/a> that served Nintendo well with Wii and Switch won&#8217;t be effective against such an omnipresent corporation. As family-friendly as the Switch is, Nintendo could face direct competition from a company whose name has become a verb, the world\u2019s homepage, the first port of call for <em>millions<\/em> of us across the internet. Microsoft can only dream that you\u2019d \u2018Bing\u2019 train times or closing time at the nearest pub. Google, and its parent company Alphabet, has access to every family member across their favourite devices.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"picture strip\"><a title=\"GOOGLEHQ\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/7b9af88027b2b\/googlehq.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/7b9af88027b2b\/googlehq.900x.jpg\" alt=\"GOOGLEHQ\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Nintendo simply can\u2019t compete with that. Google\u2019s online ubiquity leaves fingerprints on nearly every digital media device that isn\u2019t a video game console, with access to an <em>enormous<\/em> potential audience. Worldwide figures indicate there\u2019s a good chance (<a href=\"http:\/\/gs.statcounter.com\/browser-market-share\/all\/worldwide\/2019\">over 60%<\/a>) you\u2019re reading these very words on Google\u2019s browser, with the next most popular option being Apple\u2019s Safari with approximately a quarter of Chrome&#8217;s user share; millions of people are already intimately familiar with Chrome. As boundaries blur between rival tech, there&#8217;s little need for an in-house developed device if Google has Trojan-horsed its content delivery system onto competitors\u2019 products; there are already millions of people who own an iPhone but rely on Google&#8217;s amazing iOS-based ecosystem of apps.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo itself has contributed to the merging of game spaces, with the success of Switch&#8217;s core hybrid concept proving the appetite for full-blooded video games on-the-go. Nintendo, though, has only a <em>minuscule<\/em> fraction of Google\u2019s presence across all devices \u2013 a handful of successful mobile games can hardly be compared to something as far-reaching as Chrome. Nintendo&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2010\/10\/fils_aime_nintendos_biggest_current_threat_is_apple\">initially salty relationship<\/a> with Apple arguably <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2016\/12\/miyamoto_on_working_with_apple_living_with_mario_and_why_hes_not_retiring_any_time_soon\">blossomed<\/a> thanks to the very different spheres those companies operate in (and Nintendo&#8217;s need to tap into the audience on mobile devices); Google looks to be encroaching on traditional video game turf, potentially offering something the big companies have thus far failed to.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"MUSHROOM\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/998a37a9f9e8c\/mushroom.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/998a37a9f9e8c\/mushroom.original.png\" alt=\"MUSHROOM\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"TUNNEL\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/2a063329374f5\/tunnel.original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/2a063329374f5\/tunnel.original.png\" alt=\"TUNNEL\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The ability to stream full-sized AAA games without noticeable lag seemed like pure fiction until very recently, despite streaming being trumpeted as the \u2018next big thing\u2019 for what feels like years. Sony acquired Gaikai in 2012 and channelled its know-how into Remote Play, Share Play and PlayStation Now. By all accounts, Sony\u2019s streaming solution is <em>far<\/em> from the best way to play those games, with plenty of latency kinks left to iron out. Almost everything we\u2019ve seen to date, including Switch\u2019s streaming-only <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/resident_evil_7_cloud_version\">Resident Evil 7<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/assassinrs_creed_odyssey_cloud_version\">Assassin\u2019s Creed Odyssey<\/a><\/strong> editions in Japan, points to the technology not being \u2018there\u2019 just yet.<\/p>\n<p>However, the general consensus on Project Stream&#8217;s invite-only beta of Ubisoft&#8217;s <strong>Assassin\u2019s Creed Odyssey<\/strong> <em>seems<\/em> to be that it works <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2018\/10\/8\/17950998\/google-project-stream-gaming-assasins-creed-odyssey-first-impression\">surprisingly well<\/a>, as long as you\u2019ve got decent internet. That\u2019s an unavoidable caveat for streamed content, but reports have been <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/googles-project-stream-is-impressive-so-far-1829603882\">broadly positive<\/a>, with the game playing solidly across a range of devices <em>through a browser<\/em>. With so many tendrils spilling out onto online-connected devices across the world, Google is in a position to truly make good on the prospect of the all-encompassing \u2018X box\u2019 that Microsoft has tried, and arguably failed, to create ever since joining the industry.<\/p>\n<p>While that may sound ominous, the big three video game companies might take solace in the fact that Google has a history of internal projects failing over time. Most of its big successes \u2013 Drive, Docs, YouTube \u2013 have come about through acquisitions. Internal developments such as Buzz, Plus, Hangouts, Wave and YouTube Gaming have a far patchier hit rate. Despite its incredible resources and buying power, the company\u2019s history is <em>littered<\/em> with failed projects. Is this gaming push going to be any different?<\/p>\n<p>The crucial thing, though, is that Google has the capital to fail repeatedly and keep on trying; it only needs <em>one<\/em> hit to land and the gaming landscape could change very quickly. And it can hire the best people; just yesterday Jade Raymond, famed producer of EA\u2019s <strong>The Sims Online<\/strong> and Ubisoft\u2019s <strong>Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/strong> and <strong>Watch Dogs<\/strong>, tweeted that she\u2019d <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2019\/gaming\/news\/jade-raymond-google-vp-1203161899\/\">joined Google<\/a>:<\/p>\n<aside class=\"object object-tweet\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p><span lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m excited to finally be able to share that I have joined Google as VP!<\/span>\u2014 Jade Raymond (@ibjade) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ibjade\/status\/1105602638517669889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Of course, Amazon hired (and subsequently lost) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gamasutra.com\/view\/news\/251529\/Amazon_Game_Studios_loses_one_of_its_top_hires.php\">some top game developers<\/a>, too, so Raymond\u2019s appointment hardly ensures success, but it\u2019s an indication of how seriously Google is taking its entrance into the gaming arena proper. Despite a history of failed projects, it\u2019s a tenacious company with the resources to brute force its way in.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps \u2013 just <em>perhaps<\/em> \u2013 the technology has caught up and Google is poised to make a big splash at GDC. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/rumor-sega-google-console\/\">Rumours<\/a> that Sega is joining Ubisoft in partnering with Google don\u2019t tell us much \u2013 the ability to buy <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog\">Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a><\/strong> for the umpteenth time on this new hardware would surprise precisely no-one. The teaser\u2019s got our attention, though, and you can be sure all the big players in the industry will be keeping a close eye on what Google has to say on 19th March. We\u2019ll see next Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p><em>Have you have good experiences with streaming games? Do you think this potential hardware from Google will make Nintendo nervous? Share your thoughts below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HJclcGp8K_4?rel=0&amp;hd=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;modestbranding=0&amp;autohide=1&#038;w=900&#038;h=507] \u2018Gather Around\u2019 everyone, Google commands. Unless you\u2019ve been actively avoiding it, you\u2019ve probably heard about the company\u2019s plans to reveal long-rumoured hardware at this year\u2019s Game Developers Conference taking place in San Francisco next week. The latest teaser for the keynote \u2013 the company\u2019s first at GDC since it began attending \u2013 seems [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88456\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}