Cerebralbore101 said:
Short term just buying a game on Stadia for $60 without the need for hardware would be cheaper. Long term buying a console and subbing to either PS Now or Gamepass would be cheaper. Even if you are the average consumer buying 2.5 games a year, a console + subscription service is the better deal. For example... John gets Stadia pays $10 a month for the 4K and buys 2.5 games a year for an average price of $40 per game. (John waits for sales on games.) After seven years John has paid $840 for Stadia Pro and $700 for his 18 games. His average price per game is $85 after the cost of Stadia Pro. If Google ever gives up on Stadia (which they most likely will) John is out $700 in games that he now has no access to. As this comparison shows Stadia is a rip off compared to Gamepass + a Scarrlette, or a slightly improved PS Now + a PS5. |
You compared the price per game of someone playing 100 games over 7 years to someone playing 2.5 games per year over 7 years (17.5 games). If dude wants to play 15 big games, plus 85 cheap games (such as most of the games available on Gamepass and PS Now) on Stadia, his average price would be far, far lower. That would be a more reasonable comparison.
Also, Stadia will be available without a monthly subscription. That changes the math substantially.
Finally, even if the average price per game is lower over a seven year period, that doesn't take into account the time value of money. That $500 upfront purchase is a different animal than an occasional outlay for a game, or even a monthly subscription.
Then there's the fact that Stadia doesn't bind one to a console. The Stadia player can fire up his games at his friend's house, in his hotel room, etc. That's a lot harder to do with a console. So, there's really no comparison in terms of convenience. And, as a lifelong gamer myself, this is where I see appeal in streaming services. I don't need to buy consoles for every TV in my house to be able to game in any room. I don't need to miss out on gaming when I'm traveling, etc.