Google Stadia

[18leafsfan18]

It's very clearly a criticism video. I don't think anyone would deny that.

I don't see how that translates into him "hiding" facts or spreading "false" facts.


Your earlier statements in this very thread don't give all the caveats, and I'm guessing mine don't either. That doesn't mean either of us is being malicious. In fact, we give the information to try to counter the other - that's sort of how debate/discussion works.

This is exactly my point. He obviously has a platform that people subscribe to, he makes this video to "inform" people about a product but only looks at the negative (and in many ways not even entirely true) aspects of the product.

This is exactly the type of video that send his viewers out spewing bs about the system that they learnt from his misinformation.

Let's not sit here and pretend a video bashing stadia doesnt get this guy more views than an honest video where he goes over pros and cons.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Anyway, stepping out of the weeds for a second, I'm very interested to see what happens on the 19th.

Personally, I would like to play through my PC just to see how well the tech works....but I'm sort of a nerd.

This is the real thing that will kill Stadia. If the tech doesnt work.

 

[RandV]

Those are multiplatform games though. I'm talking about platform exclusives. Are people willing to forgo their favorite series of games to give Stadia a try? Time will tell.

With Stadia it's not so much about "exclusives" as it is how inclusive their library is. Exclusives are for the consoles, not PC gaming which technically Stadia would fall under. So Epic Games store aside anything that comes out on Steam should be able to come out on Stadia, it's just a matter of whether they'll include the games or not.

And I think it's actually a rather interesting technical challenge - on standard PC each person who buys a game installs it on their PC to play it. So what do you do on Stadia where the user doesn't have to install anything on their end and they expect to be able to play games immediately? Does Google have to have an installation copy of the game on a hard drive somewhere in the data center already for each person that's going to use it? Or did they come up with one way to need only one copy of the game and have everyone play off that?

For example if Assassins Creed is a 1GB install, and they expect to have 100,000 people playing it on Stadia, in addition to the processing power do they need 100,000 GB of hard disk space? Not that hard disk space is necessarily expensive but it's just another over head cost and if they don't have a creative way to deal with it could be a reason to limit the launch release. Like imagine if Steam had to have the hard disk space somewhere for every game every user has purchased.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

With Stadia it's not so much about "exclusives" as it is how inclusive their library is. Exclusives are for the consoles, not PC gaming which technically Stadia would fall under. So Epic Games store aside anything that comes out on Steam should be able to come out on Stadia, it's just a matter of whether they'll include the games or not.

And I think it's actually a rather interesting technical challenge - on standard PC each person who buys a game installs it on their PC to play it. So what do you do on Stadia where the user doesn't have to install anything on their end and they expect to be able to play games immediately? Does Google have to have an installation copy of the game on a hard drive somewhere in the data center already for each person that's going to use it? Or did they come up with one way to need only one copy of the game and have everyone play off that?

For example if Assassins Creed is a 1GB install, and they expect to have 100,000 people playing it on Stadia, in addition to the processing power do they need 100,000 GB of hard disk space? Not that hard disk space is necessarily expensive but it's just another over head cost and if they don't have a creative way to deal with it could be a reason to limit the launch release. Like imagine if Steam had to have the hard disk space somewhere for every game every user has purchased.

No, storage arrays are used for things like this where they only need one copy of the data to be shared with many hosts.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Developers are already nervous that Google will pull the plug on Stadia completely.

Launch is going to be a miserable failure. A 10 minute video of all the things that aren't going to be available at launch.

So much for all the "misinformation and spreading of false facts". This thing is an absolute joke.

 

[Commander Clueless]

This is exactly my point. He obviously has a platform that people subscribe to, he makes this video to "inform" people about a product but only looks at the negative (and in many ways not even entirely true) aspects of the product.

This is exactly the type of video that send his viewers out spewing bs about the system that they learnt from his misinformation.

Keep in mind this is a video specifically talking about the launch issues. To be fair, there isn't a lot of positive out of the launch news yet....mostly deferred features and a disappointing lineup that is significantly less than was promised. It's not a pros and cons video, but I'm sure if you want one of those they exist.

He is also not "only negative". At the end of the video, he talks about the potential and what he thinks they need to do to be successful. He even says he's excited for it, with lowered expectations.

Currently, the value proposition is a big issue for Stadia.

I think part of the problem with Stadia right now is that "entirely true" isn't really a thing. There are caveats to everything depending on situation, and many features aren't available at launched but are promised for "sometime in the future". While I'm greatly intrigued by the potential, I think it's fair to call this launch a messy one before it even begins...not that Google couldn't correct that in the near future.

I will say I'm not confident in Google's promises here. They don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to supporting interesting software projects. I hope those fears are wrong.

Let's not sit here and pretend a video bashing stadia doesnt get this guy more views than an honest video where he goes over pros and cons.

Honest question - what makes you say that?

This is the real thing that will kill Stadia. If the tech doesnt work.

Agreed, that will be the first hurdle.

However, if the value proposition isn't there relative to other consoles, widespread adoption of the product may suffer. Time will tell!

 

[18leafsfan18]

Honest question - what makes you say that?

General knowledge I guess.

Is it safe to say this guy makes money doing these videos ?

Look at his last bunch of videos. Almost every single one is a negative view on a product.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Developers are already nervous that Google will pull the plug on Stadia completely.

Launch is going to be a miserable failure. A 10 minute video of all the things that aren't going to be available at launch.

So much for all the "misinformation and spreading of false facts". This thing is an absolute joke.

So funny how misinformed these "informed" gaming youtubers are.

Again look at the last 15-20 videos from this source. 90% negative content.

 

[Commander Clueless]

General knowledge I guess.

What "general knowledge"? I admit I don't keep up on....YouTube culture I guess you'd call it?

Is it safe to say this guy makes money doing these videos ?

Look at his last bunch of videos. Almost every single one is a negative view on a product.

Does any of that make the criticism illegitimate?

So funny how misinformed these "informed" gaming youtubers are.

Again look at the last 15-20 videos from this source. 90% negative content.

What is misinformed with that video? They are just repeating the news and trying to be funny about it (not doing a great job of the funny part, IMO, but that's me).

Like I said, there isn't a ton of positive news for Stadia at launch. There's a lot of missing features.

 

[18leafsfan18]

What "general knowledge"? I admit I don't keep up on....YouTube culture I guess you'd call it?

Does any of that making the criticism illegitimate?

It's just a known thing (see it on many internet sites/discussion boards etc.) that negative videos get people more clicks.

Same thing applies to News on TV, CNN etc. they thrive on negative news.

Same thing applies to print media. As a Leafs fan I know a lot about negative writers making a living on crapping on teams and individual players (Kessel Hot Dog Nonscense).

What is misinformed with that video? They are just repeating the news and trying to be funny about it (not doing a great job of the funny part, IMO, but that's me).

Like I said, there isn't a ton of positive news for Stadia at launch. There's a lot of missing features.

They state things such as "Stadia lied about delivering the product to all founders on day 1" (Paraphrasing), when Google never said everyone will have it day 1. From the very start they said people would receive orders based on when they ordered.

The take a small issue and make it sound like a major issue.

They blame Google for not having state share etc, but it's actually available day 1, but no developers included it in their games (Was confirmed with John Justice interview yesterday).

These types of videos, where they mention an issue but don't actually explain it is what causes confusion for consumers.


Honest Question (not trying to sound condescending, hard with text):

Do you not agree that there are multiple News and information outlets that withhold key information to make situations sound worse ?

 

[Osprey]

And I think it's actually a rather interesting technical challenge - on standard PC each person who buys a game installs it on their PC to play it. So what do you do on Stadia where the user doesn't have to install anything on their end and they expect to be able to play games immediately? Does Google have to have an installation copy of the game on a hard drive somewhere in the data center already for each person that's going to use it? Or did they come up with one way to need only one copy of the game and have everyone play off that?

For example if Assassins Creed is a 1GB install, and they expect to have 100,000 people playing it on Stadia, in addition to the processing power do they need 100,000 GB of hard disk space? Not that hard disk space is necessarily expensive but it's just another over head cost and if they don't have a creative way to deal with it could be a reason to limit the launch release. Like imagine if Steam had to have the hard disk space somewhere for every game every user has purchased.

I imagine that the games aren't actually on the Stadia servers that users connect to, just like how YouTube videos aren't actually on the servers that users connect to. Probably the only things on the hard drives of the Stadia servers (the stripped down PCs with the hardware that render the games) are the Linux operating system and the Stadia tools. When you connect to one, it likely loads each game over the network from a storage array. In other words, there would technically need to be only one installation of the game (though, for performance and practicality reasons, there would likely be many, just nowhere close to one for every user). Updating an installation (say, patching the game) or adding new ones should be quick and simple, similar to how adding or replacing YouTube videos is.

What you described is more like how Shadow works, I believe. With Shadow, you rent a server like a virtual PC (presumably running Windows) and install your games on it, so there needs to be TBs of space for every user and a separate installation of each game for each one. Stadia is different because you're renting a service that's limited to a catalog, not a physical entity somewhere on which you can install what you please.

 

[Commander Clueless]

They state things such as "Stadia lied about delivering the product to all founders on day 1" (Paraphrasing), when Google never said everyone will have it day 1. From the very start they said people would receive orders based on when they ordered.

No, they just reported what the rep said (using the term "confirming" that they will be released in staggered order). Never said they lied about that, and quoted reddit posters criticizing how the shipping is being handled.

This is a criticism of how they are handling their hardware and pre-orders, and not misinformation in any way.

They blame Google for not having state share etc, but it's actually available day 1, but no developers included it in their games (Was confirmed with John Justice interview yesterday).

They just quoted exactly what Google said, and said it's not available at launch. There is no misinformation there.

Whether or not it's Google or the developers fault, it's a feature Google touted and it isn't available.

Also, what source do you have that is saying Google's end is all ready, and its just the developers lack of work that has caused the delay? Google never blamed the developers to my knowledge, so I'm not sure why you would want this video to.

Honest Question (not trying to sound condescending, hard with text):

Do you not agree that there are multiple News and information outlets that withhold key information to make situations sound worse ?

Sure, I agree that happens. Not sure that it warrants dismissal of information or arguments out of hand.


Honest question back - do you think dismissing criticisms (and in some cases, the posters that made them) out of hand without explanation because you feel some details are missing is honest critique, and a better approach than providing a counterpoint based on your information?



There is plenty of criticism for Stadia right now, and it's pretty well warranted. The launch edition is a mess, and any console developer would receive similar criticism for this....maybe even more, since they have established standards and Google is new to the scene.

That doesn't mean it won't get better, of course. The optimist in me is hopeful it will be good, but the pessimist in me looks at Google's track record and cringes a little.

 

[18leafsfan18]

No, they just reported what the rep said (using the term "confirming" that they will be released in staggered order). Never said they lied about that, and quoted reddit posters criticizing how the shipping is being handled.

This is a criticism of how they are handling their hardware and pre-orders, and not misinformation in any way.

They just quoted exactly what Google said, and said it's not available at launch. There is no misinformation there.

They talk about when your order ships you get an email and will be able to set up your account and set up your stadia name, but somehow they forget to mention (not a surprise) you can also play at that point.

Then they go on and try to be funny that a google employee is getting their shipment on the 20th-21st. They pretty clearly insinuate that users will actually get it later "Even google employees can't get it", "No Loyalty", this is literally what Google said would happen from day 1, but they make it sound like it's a lie.

Their thumbnail for the video literally says "Google Lied ?"

I think they didn't do the best job on the launch, but they definitely didn't lie or make a promise that wasn't upheld.

Whether or not it's Google or the developers fault, it's a feature Google touted and it isn't available.

Also, what source do you have that is saying Google's end is all ready, and its just the developers lack of work that has caused the delay? Google never blamed the developers to my knowledge, so I'm not sure why you would want this video to.

Last reference I saw to it needing to be embedded in the games.

I'm not saying they didn't say what was in the AMA, but they purposely (or just are bad at research) didn't mention that it's a developer that needs to include this in their game.

Sure, I imagine that happens. Not sure that it warrants dismissal of information or arguments out of hand.

Becasue to me all these videos being posted purposely leave out key information to try and diminish the product.

I'm in no way a "journalist" or even a blogger and I can easily find the information, why can't someone who's job it is find it ?

Honest question back - do you think dismissing criticisms (and in some cases, the posters that made them) out of hand without explanation because you feel some details are missing is honest critique, and a better approach than providing a counterpoint based on your information?

There is plenty of criticism for Stadia right now, and it's pretty well warranted. The launch edition is a mess, and any console developer would receive similar criticism for this....maybe even more, since they have established standards and Google is new to the scene.

That doesn't mean it won't get better, of course. The optimist in me is hopeful it will be good, but the pessimist in me looks at Google's track record and cringes a little.

Honestly, like I have said before, and to some of your own posts.

I have no problem with criticism that is warranted, but shady criticism that purposely leave out information is what bothers me.

Happens a lot, I know.

For example, you brought up performance, I think this is a good criticism (and the Achilles heel of the system IMO, if it doesn't perform) because we don't know how it's going to play, until we play it.

They even brought up that you can only set up the games etc if you have a smartphone... How can they have a straight face and state that as an issue.

 

[Commander Clueless]

They talk about when your order ships you get an email and will be able to set up your account and set up your stadia name, but somehow they forget to mention (not a surprise) you can also play at that point.

But only if you have alternative hardware (in this case, a PC or Google phone and a controller). Why did you leave that fact out of your statement? You weren't trying to spread misinformation right?

For the record, I don't think you were and I am not trying to attack you, but I think you can see the parallel I'm trying to draw.

Their thumbnail for the video literally says "Google Lied ?"

So because they had that in their thumbnail, that implies that every single point they made in a ten minute video was an accusation that Google lied?

I think not.

Again, similar to the last video, I'm not saying it's impeccable (in fact, it's a little click-baity) but calling it misinformation is incorrect in my opinion.

Last reference I saw to it needing to be embedded in the games.

I skimmed the video (might be able to watch the whole thing when I have more time), but is there a specific time where they mention it's all ready on their end?

I'm not saying they didn't say what was in the AMA, but they purposely (or just are bad at research) didn't mention that it's a developer that needs to include this in their game.

They just quoted Google's statement from their own AMA which, from what I saw, didn't mention it either.

If Google doesn't pass the blame to developers in their official statement, why would they?

And like I said, what does that matter to the end user? Why would they care? It's a feature that was touted that is not available at this time, and thus the disappointment.

Honestly, like I have said before, and to some of your own posts.

I have no problem with criticism that is warranted, but shady criticism that purposely leave out information is what bothers me.

Happens a lot, I know.

As someone who is excited with the potential of Stadia, all of the criticism levied in that video is warranted.The fact that they left out a few minor details (that Google also didn't clarify in their own AMA) does not invalidate that.

The tech is a key component to Stadia working, but assuming it works flawlessly, it's not all good from there. Google has a lot of work to do if they want to be competitive with more traditional consoles....particularly with Xbox and PlayStation already having their own implementations of streaming.

They even brought up that you can only set up the games etc if you have a smartphone... How can they have a straight face and state that as an issue.

It could easily be a con for people, considering other consoles let you buy games directly from the console. I for one think it is a negative. Why do I need an app to buy games to play on my PC?

In my case, my smartphone is a business phone provided by my job. As such, I don't use non-business apps.

Isolated case for me and a minor con for others, sure, but a potential con nonetheless.

 

[18leafsfan18]

But only if you have alternative hardware (in this case, a PC or Google phone and a controller). Why did you leave that fact out of your statement? You weren't trying to spread misinformation right?

For the record, I don't think you were and I am not trying to attack you, but I think you can see the parallel I'm trying to draw.

I get it, we are just having a conversation.

I don't mention it, because I'm just someone on a message board talking to fellow gamers, and trying to piece in information that is purposely left out. Not a youtuber with a large subscriber base.

To me if you have that platform you should at least try to be giving information from both sides.

So because they had that in their thumbnail, that implies that every single point they made in a ten minute video was an accusation that Google lied?

I think not.

Again, similar to the last video, I'm not saying it's impeccable (in fact, it's a little click-baity) but calling it misinformation is incorrect in my opinion.

For that specific subject (Delivery Date) they said things like "No Loyalty", if this isn't what they were referring to when they said Google Lied, I'm not sure what it was.

I skimmed the video (might be able to watch the whole thing when I have more time), but is there a specific time where they mention it's all ready on their end?

I posted the wrong video . Here is the correct one. 14:45 in the video.

They just quoted Google's statement from their own AMA which, from what I saw, didn't mention it either.

If Google doesn't pass the blame to developers in their official statement, why would they?

And like I said, what does that matter to the end user? Why would they care? It's a feature that was touted that is not available at this time, and thus the disappointment.

They are trying to pile on things that google is "Lying about" or promised and didn't deliver. IMO if it's out of their hands then there is nothing they can do.

I'm not even 100% if Google made comments about it being released with that feature at launch (May have missed something).

As someone who is excited with the potential of Stadia, all of the criticism levied in that video is warranted.The fact that they left out a few minor details (that Google also didn't clarify in their own AMA) does not invalidate that.

The tech is a key component to Stadia working, but assuming it works flawlessly, it's not all good from there. Google has a lot of work to do if they want to be competitive with more traditional consoles....particularly with Xbox and PlayStation already having their own implementations of streaming.

Again I agree.

It could easily be a con for people, considering other consoles let you buy games directly from the console. I for one think it is a negative. Why do I need an app to buy games to play on my PC?

In my case, my smartphone is a business phone provided by my job. As such, I don't use non-business apps.

Isolated case for me and a minor con for others, sure, but a potential con nonetheless.

I would assume most people have access to a phone to get their system set up, after that you can play without it.

What did people assume would control a chromecast ? It's always been phone based.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I get it, we are just having a conversation.

I don't mention it, because I'm just someone on a message board talking to fellow gamers, and trying to piece in information that is purposely left out. Not a youtuber with a large subscriber base.

To me if you have that platform you should at least try to be giving information from both sides.

It seems odd to me to criticize someone for leaving information out to make a point, and then intentionally do it yourself. I get that you aren't a famous YouTuber, but you just said if you could do it, they could.

Just my two cents.

Part of the problem is the actual launch state of Stadia itself is very confusing, and a lot of that is on Google.

For that specific subject (Delivery Date) they said things like "No Loyalty", if this isn't what they were referring to when they said Google Lied, I'm not sure what it was.

It was part of the sequence where they were talking about how a Stadia employee couldn't get it on launch day, making a joke that Google is not "loyal" to its own employees. It had nothing to do with the general consumer.

I posted the wrong video . Here is the correct one. 14:45 in the video.

Gotcha

They did clarify it is an implemented feature but not patched into any games yet.

To be fair, you will notice it premiered after the AMA was released, even the interviewer was surprised, and the interviewee essentially admitted it wasn't clear in the AMA.

They are trying to pile on things that google is "Lying about" or promised and didn't deliver. IMO if it's out of their hands then there is nothing they can do.

I'm not even 100% if Google made comments about it being released with that feature at launch (May have missed something).

If they marketed it as a feature, it's still on them. If you think random YouTubers should be held accountable for the whole story, I would assume you would think that even more so of Google in this case since they are the information's actual source.

It's not really about assigning blame. It's about Stadia features not being available at launch, regardless of why.

I would assume most people have access to a phone to get their system set up, after that you can play without it.

What did people assume would control a chromecast ? It's always been phone based.

Unless you want to buy a game, in which case you need to use the phone app.

Likely people assumed the controller that comes with the package could also control the Chromecast (which is technically can, but only after initial setup and not to purchase games). That's a pretty basic feature for "normal" consoles, and leaving that functionality out seems like an unnecessary inconvenience.

 

[18leafsfan18]

It seems odd to me to criticize someone for leaving information out to make a point, and then intentionally do it yourself. I get that you aren't a famous YouTuber, but you just said if you could do it, they could.

Just my two cents.

Part of the problem is the actual launch state of Stadia itself is very confusing, and a lot of that is on Google.



It was part of the sequence where they were talking about how a Stadia employee couldn't get it on launch day, making a joke that Google is not "loyal" to its own employees. It had nothing to do with the general consumer.




Gotcha

They did clarify it is an implemented feature but not patched into any games yet.

To be fair, you will notice it premiered after the AMA was released, even the interviewer was surprised, and the interviewee essentially admitted it wasn't clear in the AMA.




If they marketed it as a feature, it's still on them. If you think random YouTubers should be held accountable for the whole story, I would assume you would think that even more so of Google in this case since they are the information's actual source.

It's not really about assigning blame. It's about Stadia features not being available at launch, regardless of why.

We are going in circles with all this.

I can agree that you make good points and we just clearly don't see eye to eye on these things.

I just think if they have a following, they should be more neutral.

Agree to disagree ?

Unless you want to buy a game, in which case you need to use the phone app.

Likely people assumed the controller that comes with the package could also control the Chromecast (which is technically can, but only after initial setup and not to purchase games). That's a pretty basic feature for "normal" consoles, and leaving that functionality out seems like an unnecessary inconvenience.

I just don't think chromecast can work that way.

I'm in no way an expert, but the way I'm pretty sure it works is that it streams from a source the phone (or tablet etc) tells it to.

 

[Commander Clueless]

We are going in circles with all this.

I can agree that you make good points and we just clearly don't see eye to eye on these things.

I just think if they have a following, they should be more neutral.

Agree to disagree ?

Disagreement agreed.

That said, fair warning, but if you quote another poster or video as misinformed without countering information, I may ask for specifics.

I'm trying to stay informed on the subject too after all, so if you know something I don't, I'm interested in what it is. It can be difficult at times, as Google hasn't exactly made this product easy to follow.

I just don't think chromecast can work that way.

I'm in no way an expert, but the way I'm pretty sure it works is that it streams from a source the phone (or tablet etc) tells it to.

Could be. I'm no Chromecast expert either to be honest.

That said, if only the initial setup requires a smartphone, then how do you launch games after setup? I'm assuming there's some sort of app or something similar?

Also, since they didn't really go into specifics that I saw (and if there aren't specifics, it's up in the air with this product ), do we know if the need for a smartphone also applies to streaming it to your PC? I admit I sort of assumed it would tie into your Chrome browser/Google account, like for example how you can launch apps like Google Docs straight from your browser.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Disagreement agreed.

That said, fair warning, but if you quote another poster or video as misinformed without countering information, I may ask for specifics.

I'm trying to stay informed on the subject too, after all, so if you know something I don't, I'm interested in what it is. It can be difficult at times, as Google hasn't exactly made this product easy to follow.

I'm fine with being called out on things, and I will continue to call out posters who only post criticisms, and not look at the entire picture (Basically the entire reason for message boards I suppose).

Disagreement agreed.Could be. I'm no Chromecast expert either to be honest.

That said, if only the initial setup requires a smartphone, then how do you launch games after setup? I'm assuming there's some sort of app or something similar?

Also, since they didn't really go into specifics that I saw (and if there aren't specifics, it's up in the air with this product ), do we know if the need for a smartphone also applies to streaming it to your PC? I admit I sort of assumed it would tie into your Chrome browser/Google account, like for example how you can launch apps like Google Docs straight from your browser.

They did mention you can use Google Play Store credit on games, so it definitely needs to be tied to it in some way.

Your guess is as good as mine for launching a game after initial setup.

Maybe once a default launch option (PC, Chromecast, Phone) is selected the controller automatically starts streaming to that option (always will have to access phone to change streaming option)?

I can let you know next week as long as shipping isn't delayed.

 

[Commander Clueless]

They did mention you can use Google Play Store credit on games, so it definitely needs to be tied to it in some way.

Your guess is as good as mine for launching a game after initial setup.

Maybe once a default launch option (PC, Chromecast, Phone) is selected the controller automatically starts streaming to that option (always will have to access phone to change streaming option)?

I can let you know next week as long as shipping isn't delayed.

That would make sense in a way, although it seems kind of contrary to "won't need your phone after initial setup" - unless it is initial game setup vs initial hardware/account setup, which seems a little misleading.

But then, of course, it makes me wonder how it would work with non-Stadia controllers.

 

[Ceremony]

If this thing isn't dead within a year of launch I will buy everyone who's posted in this thread a 9th generation console of their choice when they're released

 

[Commander Clueless]

That would make sense in a way, although it seems kind of contrary to "won't need your phone after initial setup" - unless it is initial game setup vs initial hardware/account setup, which seems a little misleading.

But then, of course, it makes me wonder how it would work with non-Stadia controllers.

Never mind. They said non-Stadia controllers won't work with Chromecast at launch either.

I guess even if you have a Chromecast Ultra already and are going to wait for the (soon?) update to allow Stadia to work, you will still need to buy the controller for now.

 

[RandV]

If this thing isn't dead within a year of launch I will buy everyone who's posted in this thread a 9th generation console of their choice when they're released

That's something I was thinking of. A big draw of this should be to get people on 'screens' into PC gaming without needing a PC... but how the hell do you get around datacaps? That could be google's biggest market segment here and the ISP's have already blown out their kneecaps. As it is while it's technically something you could play mobile on the go it's really just a pseudo console/PC replacement to be played from your couch.

For future delays I'd be a bit more forgiving of. Harder to push back a hardware date launch than a software. They probably set the hardware date launch a while back and were hoping to have most of these services up but if they're not ready then they're not ready, only thing they can try to do really is push developers into some insane crunch time which Mr. Sterling here is decidedly against.

 

[Osprey]

Wait. Roll back the tape to 5:00. A "phone is needed for initial setup and buying games," but support will be limited to Google Pixel phones until sometime next year? Is that a joke? They're launching a service that only 1% of the public can even use?

 

[RandV]

Wait. Roll back the tape to 5:00. A "phone is needed for initial setup and buying games," but support will be limited to Google Pixel phones until sometime next year? Is that a joke? They're launching a service that only 1% of the public can even use?

Support may only mean technical/call support in this case?