I preordered months ago but mostly on novelty, I have the current gaming systems so this would supplement more than anything (maybe take on trips). I am not worried about preorder, it is google. The big question is how will software developers support it. If they can get a steady stream of A list games then it may do very well, if no one make any games for it then it will fail.

Google has a lot of very good ideas, they also have a few that didn't work out (google glass). Never bad to have more options and I am going to give it a try. Not a huge investment at least to start.

Stadia will be very internet speed dependent so that is a consideration, all the horsepower is remote.

The WiFi controller connects directly to googles processor. I bet there will be lag or delay depending on your internet service. Everything will be streamed to you, you’ll need fast, reliable, unlimited internet. Google has a history of cancelling services without giving much notice to the customers. If this isn’t as popular as they want it could end abruptly.

Most gaming YouTube channels are skeptical of this success.

Just look at all of the previous google services that have been shutdown in the past. Then remember you don’t own anything with this service, so a decade from not you might not have access to your save files. It will work as long as the servers are running.

https://gcemetery.co/

It a gimmick that won’t last long .

I'm sure people will be tripping over themselves to buy that.

I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. There is a monthly service fee of $9.99 and without it your new toy is a brick.

If your kids are 10 or under go with a Nintendo Switch. Mario Party, Mario Kart, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey.

If your kids are 11 or older go with a XBOX One or PS4. Both systems have monthly subscription services available for a fee (pay monthly and get access to 200-300 games) or you can just buy games and play them as much as you want. Those systems also have the ability to pay for older system games.

Google does have a history of killing off products that don't last, however, for paid content they usually bend over backwards to allow you to download and migrate to a new service (typically a new product they have made).

The items in the google cemetery, are, for the most part, free services that were rolled into other services or products.

I suspect this will be very nice, especially for travel. Lag is a major concern. Games have a couple of interesting selections that I'm interested in - RDR2 and Baldur's Gate 3. I also preordered, to see how it goes... the cost of the Chromecast Ultra makes up a portion of the preorder price and can be used for other things.

Regarding the pay service - that is only for the 4K streams. 1080p is free as much as you like (you just need the controller and a chromecast device or Pixel phone), the major disappointment is that you then need to purchase the games - there is no netflix-style option - yet.

All that said, I wouldn't want to use an untested system like this as my primary driver just yet. Gonna wait and see how good it is before making major investments. I use Steam in-home and internet streaming and PS4 remote play often, and they are worlds apart in lag and reliability.

Not worth it, I see it as a gimmick at this time. For one you don't actually own the games with a monthly subscription service. If you buy games digitally on the platform you still don't really own them, you are just paying for a cloud platform to host them (same as a majority of digital content). If the platform goes away in a few years so do your purchases.

Also, digital games on the primary platforms (XBOX, Sony, Nintnedo) typically cost more then what you can find a physical version of the game for. Buying used physical versions of games won't be an option either. For example Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to Google Stadia...for $60. The game has been out on PS4 and XBOX for a year and you can get a new physical copy for $30 or less.

A cloud gaming platform is also dependent on your internet connection. If your connection speed varies throughout the day, or if theres an outage then no gaming. Even if you have a good internet connection you may not have enough bandwidth if theres multiple other people in the house using the internet at the same time. Suddenly the 4k game is down sampled to 1080p or 720p.

Finally the user community on Google Stadia is going to be barely a fraction of what Xbox and Playstation have. If your kids want to play games with friends that won't be an option.

Personally I would recommend picking up a Playstation 4 pro around Black Friday for $350 or so, maybe a bit more if theres a good bundle.

Our Apple TV just did this too, rolled out games as of yesterday. We did NOT subscribe!

I think the Apple arcade games are downloadable and playable offline. Although that could be one of the other games as a service models I've seen recently.

There are a bunch of these now

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjOitPXwYrlAhXGvZ4KHQBhBLUQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2019%2F4%2F18%2F18274498%2Fgame-streaming-services-pc-mac-ps4-android-cloud-google-stadia&psig=AOvVaw2roRtxKFheM6H5RGwiowom&ust=1570550233975098

You need fiber to run game smoothly, I tried it recently at a trade show WITH the server sitting in the booth and you could still feel the lag. Its not ready for primetime, and there are too few people out there at least in the USA with access to Fiber.

Im glad this thread came up.. cancelled my preorder

I would argue that the Nintendo Switch has plenty of games for more mature gamers as well. It's really the exclusives that you should look at. PS4 has had a bunch of big games in the last few years, and a few more to come before the end of its cycle (Last of Us 2!!!!). For younger kids though, the Switch is definitely more suited to them as the games are much more kid friendly.

Google is bad and getting worse by the year for privacy abuses. Stadia is lame. Less Google in your life is a good thing.

Get a real console, or better yet, get a nice video card for your PC and Steamlink and stream PC games to your TV. That's the ultimate solution.

If you just want to play games, an XBOX with Gamepass is the way to go. Constant stream of A and AAA games that are months to a year old plus indie games and it's DIRT CHEAP if you manage promotions. They had one with Rockstar energy drink that worked out to like $4 a month. So for less than the price of a single physical game you could have access to non-stop A to AAA level games all year. Destroys Apple Arcade and Stadia isn't even in the same conversation.

In fact, Gamepass has been SO strong, Sony will have to address it soon (their initial attempt was sad) or they will lose the next console generation to Microsoft.

It kills me to say it because I'm generally a PlayStation guy, but for your circumstance, an XBOX 1X ($300-$350ish) with Gamepass Ultimate ($14.99/mo retail, as little as $4/mo with promos) is likely the best way to go. You'll have non-stop top level games and if you watch the promotions, it'll be dirt cheap

If your kids are any age, buy them the system that has the games they want to play. The idea that Nintendo games are only for kids and Xbox and PlayStation games are only for teens and adults is ridiculous. All the Switch games you mentioned are fantastic for everyone (Well, except maybe Super Mario Party, I was really disappointed by that game), kids through adults, and the other systems have tons of games that are the same way.

Definitely something to consider, but it's important to note that you won't find nearly as many quality games on tablets as you will on a portable console.

The promos come and go. In the case of the recent rockstar one (some walmarts may still have the promo cans with Gears of War on them), you got a code that you could add to your account that would extend the gamepass by months at a time. Some people bought enough cans (@$1-$1.50/ea) to extend their membership for a couple years at the super cheap rate.

Just sign up at slickdeals.net and set a deal alert for "gamepass" and they'll send you an email any time there's a deal for it posted.

Nintendo is terrible for online and saving data. SOMEONE needs to slap some sense into their Japanese network dev team. They're at least a decade behind Sony and Microsoft. We have all the systems, but Nintendo is SO BACKWARDS with online and cloud stuff. For that reason alone, unless the kids are really young, I wouldn't recommend a switch to a one console person.

Yeah, Nintendo's online is horrible, so if that's important to someone then they should definitely look elsewhere, but I don't know what that has to do with the age of who you're buying for. Outside of their online stuff Nintendo's games tend to be top tier, so anyone looking for great single player or local multiplayer games can still be more than content with just a Switch.

They initially tried to change the terms of the promotion after people started buying lots of RS and pouring out the drink just to get the codes, but there was such an outcry, they changed it back and made it just a little more annoying to redeem. Still a great deal.

XBOX 1X (not the 1 or 1S) with Gamepass is the best solution for your situation. Lots of great games, cheap all year long, with new ones every month.

Switch is HD, Wii wasn’t. It’ll be a whole new visual experience with those franchises for you and your kids. Switch is amazing - I’ve never played a system more or bought more games for a system. But if you want something more mainstream/realistic/4K - go with a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X or S.

As for Google Stadia? NEVER. Streaming games = NO F’ING WAY....and if you reeeeally want to try a game streaming service, Playstation has PS Now...if you don’t like it, at least you still have a functioning console.

Nintendo first party games (i.e. The good ones. in general, there's lots of shovelware from 3rd parties) rarely go on sale, so not a great value. And the age of the kid was so he/she won't remember/care that their saves were lost or trapped on a console because of Nintendo's stupid network/cloud code.

Like I said, I'm probably Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft in general, but Microsoft has come on strong, and Gamepass is a ridiculously undeniable value with the promotions that give you a year of it for about the price of ONE physical game. I have no problem recommending it these days.

I have over 600 hrs of Splatoon 2 online, and it’s been awesome. Also tons of online play with Mario Kart, ARMS, Tetris 99, Smash and others.

Smash was really choppy at first but lately has been much smoother. Not sure if Nintendo updated something?

Going off of that I don't really think there's a wrong answer here. Sounds like they enjoy a wide variety of genres, so I'm sure there will be plenty of games they'll enjoy on whichever console or service you pick.

I dunno about that, if I was a little kid still and lost all my Animal Crossing save data or something like that I'd be devastated. Certainly wouldn't forget about it.

Man I really hope Nintendo allows cloud saves on Animal Crossing... :/

Hard pass for me. I have to pay full price per game_ for less of the experience vs Xbox One X.

Maybe, maybe if the monthly fee came with an awesome game collection. It doesn't.

Pass.

And it's Google. Crappy, ever-more-abusive Google. Google could invent the best phone in human history tomorrow and be giving it away and I wouldn't take it. Once you realize that YOU are the product with Google, Facebook, Oculus, Instagram, etc it is bad news. Unfortunately Google started out pretty great, but they've become corrupt and are probably worse than Facebook, we just don't have the details yet.

I just was casually aware of how they are handling Animal Crossing, but I was hearing some really bad things like you could only have one town per Switch or something dumb like that, meaning no multiplayer where you visit each other's towns. I don't remember exactly, only that I was not happy about it. They better not screw this up.

I got the kids a Switch for Christmas last year and what a waste of money. There are very few games that are new or interesting and they all cost like $50-$60 bucks unless you want some random one from online store. Now my son wants an X-Box or something? He wants Fortnite but is only 7 years old-not sure I want to introduce him to that? He does play the crap out of our Game Gate multi-cade, and has played it everyday since we got it.

$79.99 at Target. Includes 40 classic games.

GUEST_03ef37d5-e279-4107-b8e5-4f85e9012dac (resized).jpg

Fortnite is free...and on Switch.

Well, free until he begs you to let him spend $$$ on costumes and dances and shit.

I already ordered it and am staying with it. Worst case it is a very tiny paperweight, better case it works as a portable Destiny 2 machine (does come with newest expansion). Just trying something new, theoretically with no hardware to upgrade as technology advances. Concept seems reasonable, we will see how Google handles execution.

Last thing they said is that you can only have one town per system, but that's the way it's always been and they've added local multiplayer for the first time as well. Personally I enjoyed sharing a town growing up, but obviously I can understand why people would be so upset about having to buy a whole new system if they don't want to share a town.

Well, I'll be damned. Congrats. I'm surprised there's people that still want those old consoles. Maybe I'll throw my old 360 up on CL.

I’d just buy them what they want and get the Switch. Why have 4 disappointed kids?

Life lesson. Better to get them sooner than later.

Don’t worry, life will still have plenty of opportunities to beat the heck out of them.

If the PS4 was backwards compatible to PS2 then it would be a hard sell. My kids still play on the PS2 (mainly guitar hero) even though we have a PS4 and XBone. The PS2 is a great machine, congrats on sale