Google is working on a video game streaming service that will push the company into the multibillion-dollar industry, according to a report from The Information.
The service, which carries the codename Yeti, will be similar to Sony's PlayStation Now for the PlayStation 4, as it will allow subscribers to play games that are being streamed from servers. This is different from Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which requires subscribers to first download the games on their Xbox One console before playing them.
Google Yeti To Launch On Chromecast Or New Google Console
The Information reported that Google is developing a subscription-based video game streaming service, according to sources familiar with the project. Codenamed Yeti, the service was said to work on Google Chromecast devices, with the possibility that a Google video game console will be made to support it.
According to The Information, it was an early version of Google Yeti that worked through a Chromecast device, though how a video game controller will connect to it is unclear.
More recently, Google is said to have been working on its own console and controller. Google Yeti is helmed by VP of product management Mario Queiroz and VP of engineering Majd Bakar, and with their hardware background, it is more likely that the service will launch with a new device instead of on Chromecast.
Google has been developing the service for two years, and there were actually plans to launch it in time for last year's holiday season. The reason for the decision to not push through with the Google Yeti release is unknown, but it goes to show that the service is far along in development.
Will Google Yeti Succeed?
A video game streaming service eliminates the need for subscribers to purchase costly hardware, as all the necessary processing is carried out in the cloud. Such a service, however, demands powerful servers from the provider, as everything needs to be streamed with as minimal lag as possible.
If any company can provide such powerful servers, it would be Google, which already has such infrastructure in place with websites such as YouTube. In addition, Google recently hired Phil Harrison, a veteran of the video game industry with experience in leading both the PlayStation and Xbox systems.
It was reported that Google senior executives previously did not grant the necessary attention and resources to video game projects. Things are apparently changing now, and with Harrison in the fold, Google Yeti looks very promising.
