Will the Success of Google Stadia and Online Casinos make Discs Obsolete?

Industry experts have been predicting an all-digital state of play in the gaming industry for a long time, and as the percentage of digital game purchases continues to increase, one can only assume that discs are on their way out of style. Not only has Microsoft released a disc-less Xbox One console, but another threat to the increasingly less common method of purchasing and playing games is on the horizon in the form of game streaming platforms.

Taking cues from the wildly successful online casino industry, game streaming platform Google Stadia will allow players to play games without the need to download or install any software as well as not need to buy expensive hardware. If it takes off in the same way as online casino gaming, Stadia could usher in a new age of gaming that could tip the need for discs over a cliff edge.

Stadia is coming



Online casinos have worked very well by using a strategy of offering hundreds – and in some cases, thousands – of games to all users without the need to purchase costly consoles. Anyone with an account can access every single game at an online casino, from blackjack to roulette or slot machines. Google Stadia looks to do something quite similar, offering a subscription service to grant access to a huge library of games that can be played instantly.

In the modern age of binging and on-demand consumer content, lengthy download and install times are despised by many gamers. Gaming platforms that are wholly based online have been showing console and PC gamers what they’re missing out on through their expansive use of the internet’s capabilities by hosting a huge range of games. As can be seen when you play Video Slots online, a website can boast over 3,000 games without asking the user to download and install any software. Google Stadia will be running with this idea, utilizing the cloud to implement its game streaming service. The primary allure of Google Stadia is cost-saving benefits through not needing to purchase high-end hardware to run games at the highest levels. Stadia claims to be able to deliver 4K resolution gaming through its streaming, with its subscription plan making top-quality gaming even more accessible to all.

Stadia does have its limitations, though



Just as some people still go by physical versions of their games instead of digital copies because they’re often cheaper and allow the purchaser to get a real item of value, many won’t want to change to the new ways of Google Stadia. One of the most limiting factors of gaming streaming is the internet speeds required and potential latency in many areas around the world. Online casinos don’t need to worry too much about latency as the games are so light and accessed from the platform, but for Stadia to deliver on its high-end promises, it needs its customers to have top-class internet in place. On top of this, Stadia won’t grant instant access to all video games, as the likes of Sony and Nintendo will almost certainly keep hold of their much-loved exclusives and continue to create new IPs for their consoles.

Google is going down the right path in mimicking online casinos with its huge library of games being available to all users without the need to download and install. However, video games are much more demanding than slots, so the Stadia service shouldn’t be as industry-dominating as once feared off the bat, leaving plenty of space for console gaming and disc copies of games for the time being.