Google’s GDC Gaming News: Date, Time, How To Watch, And What We Know

Google is expected to reveal some kind of gaming news at the Game Developers Conference on March 19. Exactly what that will be remains to be seen, although some kind of cloud gaming service and/or hardware has been the suspicion since the company first teased an announcement for GDC 2019.

This being Google, it could be major news–cloud gaming is a big part of gaming’s future, and a massive company getting involved has the potential to shake things up for the industry. With all of that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the essential information regarding both Google’s event and some things to know about cloud gaming. We’ll update this once the news from Google, whatever it turns out to be, is announced.

Google GDC Livestream And Time

Provided you’re eager to find out what Google is up to as soon as possible, you’ll be able to watch a Google keynote livestream of the event. It takes place on March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 5 PM GMT (4 AM AET on March 20).

As for what to expect, Google recently shared a teaser video showing off various environments. It also said the event would “unveil Google’s vision for the future of gaming.”

Why Is Cloud Gaming A Big Deal?

Cloud gaming isn’t new by any means; PlayStation Now, for instance, has been around for a while. But we’re finally reaching the point at which it stands to become a more significant component of how games are distributed. That doesn’t necessarily mean cloud gaming will replace consoles and dedicated hardware, as it could be a matter of complementing those things. To get you up to speed, we’ve put together an explainer on why cloud gaming is the future.

Jade Raymond Is (Probably) Involved

Just ahead of GDC, Jade Raymond announced that she has joined Google as a vice president. We don’t yet know exactly what Raymond–who is best known for her work as a producer on Assassin’s Creed–will be doing, but it seems fair to assume that she’ll be helping to spearhead whatever this “future of gaming” is that Google has in mind.

Who’s The Competition?

As noted above, PlayStation Now already exists, and Microsoft just recently showcased its xCloud streaming technology, with Forza Horizon 4 being played on a phone. Microsoft also announced plans to begin public testing this year. To help you keep track of all this, we’ve assembled a list of the top companies in the cloud gaming space.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/googles-gdc-gaming-news-date-time-how-to-watch-and/1100-6465658/