Tag Archives: Stadia

Stay entertained and informed from home

While spending more time at home, you might find yourself re-watching your favorite classics, doing game nights with the family and catching up on the TV shows you've been missing. From staying informed on the latest news to tuning in to weekly podcasts or finding what to watch, here are a few ideas to keep your whole family entertained while at home:

A faster way to news and entertainment

Many of us are turning to our TVs to stay up to date and entertained while we stay in. To access fresh news and fun entertainment quickly, you’ll now find three new rows from YouTube right on your Android TV home screen:

  • COVID-19 Newsgives you the latest from authoritative publishers and local health authorities to help you stay informed.
  • Stay Home #WithMe features videos that invite you to cook, listen to live music and work out, so you can stay connected, even if you’re home alone.
  • Free movies from YouTube highlights movies you can watch for free with ads, so that you can find something new.
Android-TV-News-Channel.png

Stay informed and entertained with three new rows from YouTube on the Android TV home screen.

Create your own Watchlist in Search

When you’re deciding on a TV show or movie to watch, there are a lot of options out there. And figuring out what content is available across all your subscriptions can be time consuming and overwhelming. You can already find TV and movie recommendations in Search and today we’re adding a new Watchlist tab on mobile, so that you can keep track of what to watch next.

Browse through personalized recommendations by searching “what to watch.” Then, simply tap “Watchlist” in the preview window for any show or movie to add it to your list. You can navigate between your recommendations and the “Watchlist” tab so you won’t lose track of what’s already been saved. You can also add content to your Watchlist whenever you search for a show or movie. To quickly access your full watchlist, search for “my watchlist” or tap on Collections in the Google app.

PIXEL-3_watchlist-1.png

Keep track of what to watch next with the new Watchlist in Search.

Entertainment deals you won’t want to miss

Google Play also has a collection of special deals including offers on apps for movies, TV and comics and fun ways to learn something new. If you’re looking to game with friends, you can #PlayApartTogether and explore these multiplayer games. For a throwback option, we’ve compiled a few retro arcade games to bring back childhood memories. In the U.S., we’ve also extended the free trial for Google Play Pass to 30 days to give you and your family more time to enjoy games and apps without ads or in-app purchases.
Group 3.png

Browse games to #PlayApartTogether with family and friends.

If you’re looking for apps on your big screen, Google Play is adding more collections to Android TV. Your favorite streaming apps are now organized in one row under “Stream the shows and movies you love.” You can also pick up a new hobby or skill with TV apps under “Learn new things.” If gaming on the TV is more your style, you can now find games to “Play with your remote” and “Play with your gamepad.”

Play-Games-Collections (1).png

Find games and apps in Google Play’s collections on Android TV.

We’re offering gamers in 14 countries free access to Stadia Pro for two months, which includes instant access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection and Thumper. If you’re already a paid Stadia Pro subscriber, you won’t be charged for the next two months.

Get a little help using just your voice

And whether you want to catch up on your favorite podcast or you want to spend some quality time with family or roommates, Google Assistant and Nest have got you covered. 

  • Game night:If you’re looking for trivia or quiz games to play, just say, “Hey Google, let’s play a game.” Or if you already know what you want to play, say, “Hey Google, play Are You Feeling Lucky.”

  • Kick back with a podcast:Search interest in “podcasts” hit an all-time high, worldwide. Ask Google Assistant for a particular podcast by saying, “Hey Google, play [podcast name]” or it will pick one for you if you say “Hey Google, find me a podcast about cooking.” If you have a Nest Mini, Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, the Ambient IQ feature will adjust the volume for you.

  • View your home movies easily:Watch videos and slideshows you’ve made in Google Photos using Chromecast. From the Google Photos app you can send videos and pictures to your TV by tapping the cast icon. With a Google Nest speaker you can simply ask, “Hey Google, show my 2018 summer vacation video on my TV.”

Lifestyle_Chromecast_Family_Shot_24_EH-0086_noblur_rgb.png

Ask Google Assistant to cast your family photos and videos to your TV.

These updates and features are already available or coming this week. Check them out to keep the whole family entertained at home.

Stay entertained and informed from home

While spending more time at home, you might find yourself re-watching your favorite classics, doing game nights with the family and catching up on the TV shows you've been missing. From staying informed on the latest news to tuning in to weekly podcasts or finding what to watch, here are a few ideas to keep your whole family entertained while at home:

A faster way to news and entertainment

Many of us are turning to our TVs to stay up to date and entertained while we stay in. To access fresh news and fun entertainment quickly, you’ll now find three new rows from YouTube right on your Android TV home screen:

  • COVID-19 Newsgives you the latest from authoritative publishers and local health authorities to help you stay informed.
  • Stay Home #WithMe features videos that invite you to cook, listen to live music and work out, so you can stay connected, even if you’re home alone.
  • Free movies from YouTube highlights movies you can watch for free with ads, so that you can find something new.
Android-TV-News-Channel.png

Stay informed and entertained with three new rows from YouTube on the Android TV home screen.

Create your own Watchlist in Search

When you’re deciding on a TV show or movie to watch, there are a lot of options out there. And figuring out what content is available across all your subscriptions can be time consuming and overwhelming. You can already find TV and movie recommendations in Search and today we’re adding a new Watchlist tab on mobile, so that you can keep track of what to watch next.

Browse through personalized recommendations by searching “what to watch.” Then, simply tap “Watchlist” in the preview window for any show or movie to add it to your list. You can navigate between your recommendations and the “Watchlist” tab so you won’t lose track of what’s already been saved. You can also add content to your Watchlist whenever you search for a show or movie. To quickly access your full watchlist, search for “my watchlist” or tap on Collections in the Google app.

PIXEL-3_watchlist-1.png

Keep track of what to watch next with the new Watchlist in Search.

Entertainment deals you won’t want to miss

Google Play also has a collection of special deals including offers on apps for movies, TV and comics and fun ways to learn something new. If you’re looking to game with friends, you can #PlayApartTogether and explore these multiplayer games. For a throwback option, we’ve compiled a few retro arcade games to bring back childhood memories. In the U.S., we’ve also extended the free trial for Google Play Pass to 30 days to give you and your family more time to enjoy games and apps without ads or in-app purchases.
Group 3.png

Browse games to #PlayApartTogether with family and friends.

If you’re looking for apps on your big screen, Google Play is adding more collections to Android TV. Your favorite streaming apps are now organized in one row under “Stream the shows and movies you love.” You can also pick up a new hobby or skill with TV apps under “Learn new things.” If gaming on the TV is more your style, you can now find games to “Play with your remote” and “Play with your gamepad.”

Play-Games-Collections (1).png

Find games and apps in Google Play’s collections on Android TV.

We’re offering gamers in 14 countries free access to Stadia Pro for two months, which includes instant access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection and Thumper. If you’re already a paid Stadia Pro subscriber, you won’t be charged for the next two months.

Get a little help using just your voice

And whether you want to catch up on your favorite podcast or you want to spend some quality time with family or roommates, Google Assistant and Nest have got you covered. 

  • Game night:If you’re looking for trivia or quiz games to play, just say, “Hey Google, let’s play a game.” Or if you already know what you want to play, say, “Hey Google, play Are You Feeling Lucky.”

  • Kick back with a podcast:Search interest in “podcasts” hit an all-time high, worldwide. Ask Google Assistant for a particular podcast by saying, “Hey Google, play [podcast name]” or it will pick one for you if you say “Hey Google, find me a podcast about cooking.” If you have a Nest Mini, Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, the Ambient IQ feature will automatically adjust the volume when there's background noise.

  • View your home movies easily:Watch videos and slideshows you’ve made in Google Photos using Chromecast. From the Google Photos app you can send videos and pictures to your TV by tapping the cast icon. With a Google Nest speaker you can simply ask, “Hey Google, show my 2018 summer vacation video on my TV.”

Lifestyle_Chromecast_Family_Shot_24_EH-0086_noblur_rgb.png

Ask Google Assistant to cast your family photos and videos to your TV.

These updates and features are already available or coming this week. Check them out to keep the whole family entertained at home.

Source: Search


Play Stadia Pro for free, starting today

We’re facing some of the most challenging times in recent memory. Keeping social distance is vital, but staying home for long periods can be difficult and feel isolating. Video games can be a valuable way to socialize with friends and family when you’re stuck at home, so we’re giving gamers in 14 countries free access to Stadia Pro for two months. This is starting today and rolling out over the next 48 hours.

Anyone who signs up will get two free months of Stadia Pro with instant access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, and Thumper. You can purchase even more games on the store, which will remain yours to play even if you cancel your Stadia Pro subscription. If you’re already a paid Stadia Pro subscriber, we won’t charge you for the next two months. After that, Stadia Pro is $9.99 a month, but you can opt out of your subscription at any time.

If you’re new, playing on Stadia is simple: 

With increased demand due to more people at home during this time, we’re taking a responsible approach to internet traffic. For Stadia, we’ve always adjusted bandwidth use based on a variety of in-home and local internet factors. To reduce load on the internet further, we’re working toward a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p. The vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won’t notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose yourdata usage options in the Stadia app.  

Like so many people around the world going through this crisis, our support team has been significantly impacted, and our customer support functions are not running at full capacity. Please use our automated Help Center and, as you give Stadia a try, check out these helpful tips for setting up your home environment. Many of you will be new to Stadia, so we’ve also posted a Getting Started Walkthrough. 

Have fun, stay safe, and we look forward to playing with you on Stadia.

Play Stadia Pro for free, starting today

We’re facing some of the most challenging times in recent memory. Keeping social distance is vital, but staying home for long periods can be difficult and feel isolating. Video games can be a valuable way to socialize with friends and family when you’re stuck at home, so we’re giving gamers in 14 countries free access to Stadia for two months. This is starting today and rolling out over the next 48 hours.

Anyone who signs up will get two free months of Stadia Pro with instant access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, and Thumper. You can purchase even more games on the store, which will remain yours to play even if you cancel your Stadia Pro subscription. If you’re already a paid Stadia Pro subscriber, we won’t charge you for the next two months. After that, Stadia Pro is $9.99 a month, but you can opt out of your subscription​ at any time.

If you’re new, playing on Stadia is simple:



With increased demand due to more people at home during this time, we’re taking a responsible approach to internet traffic. For Stadia, we’ve always adjusted bandwidth use based on a variety of in-home and local internet factors. To reduce load on the internet further, we’re working toward a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p. The vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won’t notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your​ data usage options ​in the Stadia app.

Like so many people around the world going through this crisis, our support team has been significantly impacted, and our customer support functions are not running at full capacity. Please use our automated Help Center ​and, as you give Stadia a try, check out these helpful tips ​for setting up your home environment. Many of you will be new to Stadia, so we’ve also posted a Getting Started Walkthrough.

Have fun, stay safe, and we look forward to playing with you on Stadia.

Posted by Phil Harrison, VP and GM, Stadia

Stadia Savepoint: March updates

We're back with another update in our Stadia Savepoint series, providing a summary of recent news on Stadia.

This month we added seven new games to the Stadia store including DOOM Eternal and Lost Words: Beyond the Page, a First on Stadia title. With Serious Sam Collection, Spitlings and Stacks On Stacks (On Stacks) being added to Stadia Pro on April 1, subscribers can claim and build their library of games, playing for free as part of their subscription.

stadia.google.com_captures (2) (1).png

Stadia Capture Library on Web

Web Capture Library

Access captured gameplay screenshots and clips on your laptop or desktop and download them from your library.

4K on Web

Players with an active Stadia Pro subscription plus the necessary hardware and network speeds can now play Stadia at up to 4K resolution on the web in their Chrome browser.

Recent content launches on Stadia

  • Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock Expansion

  • DOOM Eternal

  • Lost Words: Beyond the Page

  • Serious Sam Collection

  • SteamWorld Quest

  • SteamWorld Dig

  • SteamWorld Dig 2

  • SteamWorld Heist

  • The Crew 2

  • Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

  • Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Warlords of New York Expansion

New games announced for Stadia

  • Monopoly

  • Monster Jam Steel Titans

  • MotoGP20

  • Relicta

  • The Turing Test

Stadia Pro updates

  • New games that are free to claim for Stadia Pro subscribers in April: Serious Sam Collection, Spitlings, Stacks On Stacks (On Stacks).

  • Existing games still available to add to your collection: Destiny 2, GRID, GYLT, Metro Exodus, SteamWorld Dig 2, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech and Thumper.

  • Act quickly: Metro Exodus and Thumper leave Stadia Pro on March 31.

  • Ongoing discounts for Stadia Pro subscribers: Check out the web or mobile Stadia store for the latest.

That’s it for March—we’ll be back soon to share more updates. As always, stay tuned to the Stadia Community Blog, Facebook and Twitter for the latest news. 

Everything announced at the Google for Games Developer Summit

Every year, GDC is a moment to celebrate our successes and learn from one another. Although we won’t be gathering in person this year, we’re bringing you the latest updates at our Google for Games Developer Summit, where developers can watch the announcements and virtually attend sessions for free  at g.co/gamedevsummit.

We also realize this may have been a big sacrifice for your teams. For some, GDC is a major opportunity for annual business development and marketing strategies. That’s why we’ve partnered with WINGS andthe GDC Relief Fund to support teams in continuing to do what they do best: build world-class games.

Now more than ever, games are helping players around the globe feel more connected. To ensure you have access to the tools you need to deliver the best possible game experiences, our teams have been building solutions to help you tackle your biggest challenges and set you up for long-term success. You can check out the highlights below:

Build games and reach a wider audience with Android and Google Play

We’re making it easier for you to build and optimize games on Android. Learn about new tools to help your development process, provide greater insights into your game’s performance, and access a wider player base. Once you’re ready to publish, review our updated guidance to ensure your game is high-quality and leverages various features and services for a successful go-to-market with Google Play.

Grow your business with Google Ads and AdMob

The best game developers think about their players first—both when creating experiences people love and building sustainable businesses. Google Ads and AdMob are introducing new ways to analyze and utilize player insights to help you grow your games and earn the revenue you need to improve them over time.

Simply scale your global game with Google Cloud Game Servers 

Hosting and scaling a global game can be challenging and requires that you either build costly solutions, or turn to pre-packaged ones that limit choice and control. To offer you more choices and time to dedicate to core elements of producing games, the Google Cloud team is introducing a simplified, convenient way for managing game server clusters.

Build and publish the next generation of games with Stadia

New game platforms present new challenges and opportunities for game creators and Google is here to help. For developers of all sizes looking to bring their games to Stadia, the team is unveiling Stadia Makers, a new program to support the independent development community.

We’re excited to see this community continue to delight players around the world, and we look forward to building what’s next, together. From all of us, thank you for keeping this community thriving.

Source: Android


Everything announced at the Google for Games Developer Summit

Every year, GDC is a moment to celebrate our successes and learn from one another. Although we won’t be gathering in person this year, we’re bringing you the latest updates at our Google for Games Developer Summit, where developers can watch the announcements and virtually attend sessions for free  at g.co/gamedevsummit.

We also realize this may have been a big sacrifice for your teams. For some, GDC is a major opportunity for annual business development and marketing strategies. That’s why we’ve partnered with WINGS andthe GDC Relief Fund to support teams in continuing to do what they do best: build world-class games.

Now more than ever, games are helping players around the globe feel more connected. To ensure you have access to the tools you need to deliver the best possible game experiences, our teams have been building solutions to help you tackle your biggest challenges and set you up for long-term success. You can check out the highlights below:

Build games and reach a wider audience with Android and Google Play

We’re making it easier for you to build and optimize games on Android. Learn about new tools to help your development process, provide greater insights into your game’s performance, and access a wider player base. Once you’re ready to publish, review our updated guidance to ensure your game is high-quality and leverages various features and services for a successful go-to-market with Google Play.

Grow your business with Google Ads and AdMob

The best game developers think about their players first—both when creating experiences people love and building sustainable businesses. Google Ads and AdMob are introducing new ways to analyze and utilize player insights to help you grow your games and earn the revenue you need to improve them over time.

Simply scale your global game with Google Cloud Game Servers 

Hosting and scaling a global game can be challenging and requires that you either build costly solutions, or turn to pre-packaged ones that limit choice and control. To offer you more choices and time to dedicate to core elements of producing games, the Google Cloud team is introducing a simplified, convenient way for managing game server clusters.

Build and publish the next generation of games with Stadia

New game platforms present new challenges and opportunities for game creators and Google is here to help. For developers of all sizes looking to bring their games to Stadia, the team is unveiling Stadia Makers, a new program to support the independent development community.

We’re excited to see this community continue to delight players around the world, and we look forward to building what’s next, together. From all of us, thank you for keeping this community thriving.

Source: Android


Our new Stadia Games and Entertainment Studio in Playa Vista


Stadia Games and Entertainment is setting out to change the way we play, enjoy and create video games. With Stadia, the creative possibilities are limitless. But we can’t build those experiences without a talented team of game designers, artists and storytellers. We started that journey with the opening of Stadia’s first original games studio in Montreal late last year. Today, we’re adding a new Stadia Games and Entertainment studio in Playa Vista, California, which will be led by an industry veteran, Shannon Studstill.

The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we’re just starting to explore. While we’re not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences.

I’ve been a fan of Shannon’s for a long time, and have admired her award-winning work leading Sony’s Santa Monica Studio and the industry defining franchises like God of War that have won fans all over the world. She has an extensive background in product development and creative leadership, but most importantly, she’s a visionary who, as the Studio Director, will lead and inspire the Playa Vista teams. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Stadia family!

Stadia is designed to be the one destination for all the ways we play. It’s key to bring on talent that not only has success in delivering the industry’s best content, but also has creative ideas around how to embrace this new and unique way to create. 

Building a world-class studio piece-by-piece is a unique opportunity that you don't often get in the game industry.And we want to do it with you. 

Stadia Savepoint: February updates


With February coming to a close, we’re back with another issue of our Stadia Savepoint series, giving you a summary of recent news on Stadia.

This month we announced nine new games coming to Stadia, featuring three games launching First on Stadia. That included “Spitlings,” the chaotic multi-player platformer which launched earlier this week and is the focus of our first developer Q&A with Massive Miniteam. 

Stadia on new phones

Stadia on Samsung, ASUS, and Razer phones.

Expanded Android support

We’ve added Stadia compatibility to 19 new phones from Samsung, ASUS, and Razer, bringing the ability to play our entire library across tens of millions of devices. See here for more info. 

New games coming to Stadia

  • SteamWorld Dig

  • SteamWorld Dig 2

  • SteamWorld Heist

  • SteamWorld Quest

  • Lost Words: Beyond the Page

  • Panzer Dragoon: Remake

  • Serious Sam Collection

  • Stacks on Stacks (on Stacks)

  • The Division 2

  • Doom Eternal

Recent content launches on Stadia

  • Spitlings

  • Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 3

  • Borderlands 3 - Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot

  • Metro Exodus - Sam’s Story

  • Mortal Kombat 11 - The Joker

  • Mortal Kombat 11 - DC Elseworlds Skin Pack

Stadia Pro updates

  • New games are free to active Stadia Pro subscribers in March: GRID, SteamWorld Dig 2, and SteamWorld Quest.

  • Existing games still available to add to your collection: Destiny 2, Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition, Gylt, Metro Exodus and Thumper.

  • Act quickly: Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition leaves Stadia Pro on February 29.

  • Ongoing discounts for Stadia Pro subscribers: Check out the web or mobile Stadia store for the latest.

That’s it for February, we’ll be back soon to share more updates. As always, stay tuned to the Stadia Community Blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest news. 

Stadia Savepoint: January updates

After a nice holiday break we’re back with the latest in our Stadia Savepoint series, keeping you up to date on what’s new on the Stadia platform. 

We recently shared on our Community Blog that we’re tracking more than 120 games coming to Stadia in 2020. We’re also looking at more than ten games in the first half of this year that will be only available on Stadia when they launch. Plus, support for wireless gaming on the web, more Assistant functionality and additional Android phones are right around the corner. As for the latest updates, read on for what we were up to in January.

Achievements

You’ll receive notifications of your achievements when playing on desktop, laptop and TV, and you’ll get credit for those achievements. You can view your full list on the web, including all the hard-won achievements  you've earned since you began playing Stadia. 

Stadia achievements

Achievements on Stadia

Strategic Collaboration with BT

We announced a strategic collaboration with BT who became the first European distribution partner for Stadia. Together, we’ll work to continue moving the cloud gaming industry forward.

Verizon Partners with Stadia

We're partnering with Verizon to give new Fios Gigabit internet customers a Stadia Premiere Edition (starting January 29), with a promotion for Verizon 5G Home customers coming soon.


New content coming to Stadia

  • Red Dead Online: Moonshiners
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint–Raids and Terminator Event

Stadia Pro updates

  • New games are free to Stadia Pro users in February: GYLT and Metro Exodus
  • Existing games still available to add to your collection: Destiny 2, Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, SAMURAI SHODOWN and Thumper
  • Ongoing Stadia Pro discounts. Check out the web or mobile Stadia store for the latest.

That’s it for January, we’ll be back soon to share more updates.