The Google Stadia cloud-based gaming platform is seeking an influx of titles from independent developers.
During the Google for Games Developer Summit, the company has announced a new Stadia Makers Program, which is designed to make it easier for devs to self-publish on the currently sparsely populated platform.
Google is teaming up with Unity on the initiative, which will bring expert support from Unity’s technical team. That’ll be a definite plus for developers seeking to get in on the act, due to the experience of the Unity team in assisting indie makers.
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As well as the technical assistance, Google is promising indie devs up to five development kits, depending on the size of the team, while it also wants to help offset the extra development costs of publishing on the platform.
Google says: “There’s a very real financial consideration when it comes to developing across platforms, and Stadia will offset some of those costs.”
The company says that devs have launched 30 games on Stadia since the launch in November last year and is touting the 120 titles that will arrive during 2020.
Google added: “The fact of the matter is that far more studios applied to be a part of our launch than we could work with at the time. Thank you for your ambition, patience, and support that those applications represent. Now that we’re a few months down the road, we’ve improved our tools and built new partnerships that will let us work with more independent studios.”
There are currently a good few household name games available on Stadia, such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Doom Eternal, Destiny 2, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Elder Scrolls Online. However, there isn’t a lot beneath the surface.
An influx of new games from the independent realm might give Stadia a much-needed boost after a somewhat underwhelming first few months in the public realm.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.