Google could be about to wade into the console war if recent leaks over a potential new games console are true.
Developed under Google’s new gaming-focussed subdivision Yeti, Google is reported to be launching their own console in the coming years, with a games streaming service similar to the Netflix model.
News that Google could be entering the gaming market have been swirling for several years but the search-engine super firm could finally be building their own console.
Leaked through gaming website Kotaku, Google is set to storm the gaming world with an exclusive streaming service, improved software and a wide pool of developers to develop original games for their fans.
What is the new Google games console?
Kotaku revealed a new games console could be on the way from Google to shake up a market that has gone stale in recent months.
Both Sony and Microsoft are suffering negative news in the press, with Sony struggling to connect with players over the controversial cross-platform drama, while Microsoft is struggling to bring in new players to their console.
Google is supposedly going to enter the market with a three-pronged approach: 1) a streaming platform, 2) new hardware, and 3) an attempt to bring game developers under the Google umbrella, whether through aggressive recruiting or even major acquisitions.
Only five incredibly lucky people have been briefed on Google’s supposed plans to build their own console, so details are scarce at this time.
Google is yet to respond to the leak.
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At the Game Developers Conference in March of this year, Google representatives met with several big video game companies to gauge interest in its streaming platform, which is code-named Yeti, sources said.
Google also held meetings at E3 in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, those sources said.
It is rumoured that Google will be looking to buy entire game studios rather than simply licensing them out to develop games for them, bringing them under their “umbrella”.
Google will be looking to take streaming a step forward, opening up high-spec games to low-end PCs and consoles by offloading intense graphical rendering to powerful computers connected to a server.
Removing the need for expensive hardware and graphics cards, Google would open up a whole range of games to a wider audience with the new streaming service.
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Could Google be entering the games console market?
Rather than buying a physical copy and installing a bunch of patches, gamers could simply log into their account through their console and play the game through the cloud.
A source close to Google’s Yeti described it as: “Imagine playing The Witcher 3 within a tab on Google Chrome.”
Jason Shreier of Kotaku said: “Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Or sounds too much like the promise of other streaming platforms like OnLive, which failed because of lag and video compression that reduced quality.
“Many of the rumours we’ve heard need to be presented with some scepticism until we actually see them in action.
“One pie-in-the-sky idea I’ve heard floated, for example, is heavy integration between Yeti and the Google-owned YouTube.
“Imagine you’re playing a game and you run into a tricky boss or don’t know how to solve a puzzle.
“Instead of opening up your laptop or checking your phone for a guide, you could press a button to activate an overlay on your screen that cues up a YouTube walkthrough of the game you’re playing.”
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Will the new Google Console be better than PS$ or Xbox One?
The new Google console’s streaming capabilities could pose a massive issue for some gamers with the continued Net Neutrality debate, which, if pushed forward in American law, could lock-out certain websites to a premium, stopping gamers from streaming games online unless a hefty price is paid.
While the new console from Google remains just a rumour at this time, it makes sense for the mega-company to make steps in the market.
Experts from MarketWatch predict the gaming industry will bring in more than $ 180 billion by 2022, with gaming becoming an increasingly more acceptable pastime.
Should Google make the step into the market and develop something to rival the future of gaming, which could come in the shape of the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox 2, it is likely to shake up the market beyond recognition.
