Google recently announced its entry into the gaming industry – Stadia. Stadia will be a platform that allows gamers to access games on almost any device that has access to a browser. The games will be streamed using Google’s massive infrastructure and will in-turn deliver high quality gaming to end users. This announcement came as a shock considering much of gaming is done through the use of hardware, such as consoles or computers. Stadia was shown as working on a computer, TV, and phone, all through the web with no additional hardware. Google also announced its own game controller which would work through WiFi with Stadia.
This directly relates to the type of innovation we have been discussing in class recently. Google has introduced a concept that smaller companies have delved in, but the problem is that they are smaller. Google has large access to resources and with its existing infrastructure, they could potentially execute this properly. If executed correctly, they can disrupt the gaming industry as we as a society are gravitating more towards streaming services. Though it can be disruptive, I don’t think we can attribute it to the theory of disruptive innovation right away as we do not know how much the service will cost. I would say, however, it is in line with new-market innovation, as they are trying to make gaming convenient by integrating it with a plethora of devices. What do you all think?
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-stadia-gaming-at-gdc-2019-everything-just-announced/
I disagree with the post because I think we can apply the theory of disruptive innovation right away. While the pricing is not available yet, we can infer that the only cost come from the controller and the games themselves. In traditional gaming system the most highest expense is the gaming console as they sometime cost hundreds of dollars.
This Google Stadia going to disrupt this market as it might implement a cheaper monthly fee system that can reach a greater numbers of gamers. Stadia can allow gamers enjoys their game without an enormous upfront cost.
I think that this is actually a great example of sustaining innovation, and isn’t disruptive at all. Google isn’t the first entrant into the game streaming market. PlayStation and Nvidia who are both known for making hardware typically associated with traditional gaming are already in the game streaming market. The difference between what they offer and what Google is planning on offering is that Google allows you to stream to any device, unlike Playstation and Nvidia who have locked their streaming service to specific device classes. Also, Google is launching a controller that directly connects to its streaming servers in an attempt to alleviate one of the biggest grievances with gamers who use game streaming, input lag. With those things considered, I think that this new service is a clear example of sustaining innovation.