Google tackles the issue of blurry game owners in the new FAQ on Stadia

The image of how Stadia, Google's next cloud streaming game service, will work during the official launch in November has become a little clearer last week. An official FAQ on the service was posted on the official Google Support Center shortly before Independence Day holidays. It can be argued that the biggest news of the update is the one about the blurred game ownership problem at Stadia, or lack thereof.

The July 3rd FAQ offers a question that may sound familiar to anyone who uses digital download services on smartphones and game consoles: "What happens to a game I bought if the publisher stop taking over Stadia in the future, can I still play? " Google categorically responds to this question with a "yes", adding: "Once the game is purchased, you have the right to play it." (This clearly differs from the ownership of the game, since Stadia will likely sell licenses to access the games on its Stadia servers.)

Google's response includes enough leeway to turn this "yes" into a "no" future: "Apart from unforeseen circumstances, Stadia will strive to keep any previously purchased title available for playability." At the very least, this answer confirms that Stadia's games could very well be removed from the list – that is, they were once available for play or sale and then withdrawn – but that, by default, "existing players will be able to always play the game ". [delisted] Thu."

But that still leaves some questions about games hosted on Google's cloud service. What happens if the game relies on server-specific features, ranging from physical simulation to third-party authentication, to a shutter (or Google itself) shut down? The FAQ of last week does not say – but do not call these two examples "unexpected", please, Google.

Controllers, file backup, cables

Better news has arrived for those who would leave a paying Stadia Pro subscription (currently a $ 9.99 / month service) and are worried about backing up the files in the attached games. The FAQ confirms that some "games and add-ons" may be stuck behind this subscription service, which we already know to a certain extent; For example, paying users of Stadia Pro can expect to access "the Destiny 2 experience "(ie all the paid content that adds to the new free skeleton of this game) at the launch of Stadia in November.

The FAQ goes further by confirming that any progress you make in such games and add-ons will be saved indefinitely on Stadia's servers. If you want to skip the Stadia Pro service and simply purchase the previously played game licenses, Stadia will transfer your existing backup files and progress accordingly. (For comparison, this is better than Nintendo's six months of support for cloud backups after termination of a Switch Online subscription.)

A missing item in the first batch of Stadia-compatible games was an indication of local multiplayer support, but the new FAQ confirms that "up to four Stadia controllers" will work in all "local multiplayer" games. However, this leaves a huge question mark as to whether the local multiplayer mode will require a huge pack of four Google Stadia controllers or if you will be able to hook up other compatible controllers when your friends come to see you . Google previously announced that existing DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers would work with Stadia.

About Google's official Stadia controllers: although we knew that they were connected directly to your router via Wi-Fi for latency reasons (thus avoiding the latency jumps and latencies transmitted via a streaming device ), the new FAQ confirms that they will also work. as wired controllers. If you prefer to connect them via a USB cable to "your phone, tablet or computer", continue. This label seems to confirm that streaming boxes such as Chromecast do not support Google Stadia wired controllers.

A sneaky option in the fine print

For the rest, if you live in the United States, you can expect Google Stadia to work in Alaska and Puerto Rico when it's launched in November, but not in Hawaii, Guam or the US Virgin Islands.

Plus, if you buy the Google Stadia Founder's edition of $ 130 and then return its hardware for a refund, Google will disable almost all of your cloud purchases. This includes the three-month bundle subscription to Stadia Pro, "all games claimed as a subscriber" (ie any exclusive Stadia Pro exclusivity during your time of use), the subscription of three months included "Buddy Pass" that you could send. to a friend and the "Founder" cosmetic tags attached to your user name.

Curiously, however, this cancellation does not do not cancel your username and will not prevent users from accessing Stadia Base, the free level of service (which otherwise would not be available at launch for average users in the future). registering on a Google website). So, if you want to use Stadia Base at launch without spending 130 €, buying and returning an edition of the founder of Stadia seems like an official way to do it. In addition, the purchase of an edition of the founder is currently the only way to reserve a single access to Stadia user names. If you really want to hang on to "cooldude420" in the Stadia verse without spending $ 130, Google can give you a sneaky way to do that.

Announcement by Google