Nvidia's GeForce Now has apparently attracted a lot more gamers than its big rival Google Stadia, presumably helped by the fact that there's a free offer, but if big publishers keep pulling games from Nvidia's streaming service, this may not be the one. case in the future. In a recent blog post, Phil Eisler, CEO of GeForce Now, announced that: "More than a million new gamers have turned to the cloud by signing up for a free plan or switching to the founders' membership, which includes a 90-day free trial period." As Pocket Gamer (via PC GamesN) noted, in January, the number of downloads recorded for the Stadia app on the Play Store was 409,000, with a further 141,000 via the Apple store. So, combined, that's 550,000, no more than half of Nvidia's tally, the latter having been collected in much less time, to begin with (GeForce Now only launched in early February). Google Stadia requires the Android or iOS app to activate the account, so these download numbers work as a fair estimate of subscribers (though not necessarily entirely accurate). And keep in mind that in January, the number of app downloads has dropped considerably since Stadia launched in November 2019. So, especially if this decline has continued, GeForce Now certainly seems to be in control in terms of early popularity. But as we've already said, this isn't too surprising given that it's possible to try out Nvidia's streaming service for free, and it's not an option with Google Stadia (not yet; however, a free tier is expected to arrive at some point). in 2020).
keep up the momentum
While Nvidia may have the initial momentum, it could be hard to sustain this before Google even makes its free tier available, simply because the big publishers inflicted several big hits by leaving GeForce Now after its launch Activision Blizzard was first through the door. out, followed by Bethesda, and there are plenty of gamers who are seriously irritated by the loss of high-end games like the Call of Duty series or the likes of Doom and Elder. scrolls. . The main problem is that some people have specifically purchased games to play on GeForce Now because their personal PC cannot keep up with the demands of these titles. So after paying, if you can't play this game without GeForce Now because the title was removed, you're really out of luck. In case you don't realize that, the model with GeForce Now is that you basically pay Nvidia for a powerful gaming remote PC, not games you have to own (although Nvidia should also consider charging your execution in the service, of course).
trials and tribulations
Why are these publishers leaving GeForce Now? This is a very good question, and even if Bethesda doesn't have a comment yet, we do have an answer in the case of Activision Blizzard, and this is due to a "misunderstanding" on Nvidia's part. Nvidia apparently treats GeForce Now's free trial period, the first three months after launch, as technically still a "transition period" between beta and full operation, despite the service's official launch. So it's possible that similar contractual hurdles are also responsible for the situation with Bethesda. Nvidia observed: "When approaching a paid service, some publishers may choose to remove games before the end of the trial period. Ultimately, they retain control over their content and decide whether the game you buy includes streaming on GeForce Now. "However, it's somewhat disconcerting to note that Nvidia hasn't had in-depth discussions with these publishers to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen post-beta. While behind-the-scenes disputes and politics remain unclear, one thing is quite clear: that if there are more high-end defections, Nvidia could seriously struggle to maintain its position as a competitor. serious for the senior crown. streaming service. But you don't feel like everything is falling apart for Nvidia. GeForce Now is technically very impressive, and we've heard a lot of generally positive feedback, including our own hands-on review verdict that it's "probably the best online game streaming service on the market right now." Nvidia also scored a recent victory by announcing the availability of Cyberpunk 2077 on launch day, a great game, and one that will benefit from lightning-fast graphics. But Nvidia can no longer afford to swing like Activision Blizzard or Bethesda...