The upcoming Google Stadia video game streaming service seems to be attracting a lot of attention from developers. The company recently revealed that over 4,000 developers have applied to be part of Stadia.
Sam Corcoran, technical account manager for Google, mentioned the number during a talk at Develop:Brighton. PCGamesInsider, who attended the event, reports that these applications were made to the company’s Stadia Partners Program.
ALSO: Final Fantasy 7 Remake PS4 exclusivity confirmed by Square Enix
The Stadia Partners Program provides development workstation nodes to accepted partners free of charge. In addition, Google will also tailor their support plans to the needs of accepted partners.
“Stadia Partners is the most immediate opportunity for developers. It’s a programme that allows you to pitch your game that’s in development to Google,” explained Corcoran. “That allows us to tailor-make a support plan that will work for your title and fit with the rest of our portfolio. We’re always looking for new games and pitches, so we absolutely do want to talk to any of you who are interested.”
All prospective partners need to do is to pitch their game to Google. This includes sending in links to prototype builds of their game, as well as video of it on YouTube. Additionally, Corcoran confirmed that each application is reviewed by an actual person.
The high interest among developers in Google Stadia is a stark contrast to a seeming lack of interest from gamers. A recent European survey conducted on behalf of GamesIndustry shows that only a small percentage of gamers in the region are interested in Stadia.
That said, these developers likely aren’t interested in targeting the core gamer demographic. Instead, they could be hoping that the service makes it big with casual gamers. The ability to play from any device is something that could help extend the service’s reach. Indeed, Corcoran stressed this point in his talk.
“What I’d really recommend – and what is always well-received – is having a good think about the access the Stadia provides, which allows people to play across all these different endpoints and hopefully can widen the range of players that can engage with your game,” stated Corcoran. “Think about if that does anything particular for your game. If access from any device has an impact on the design of your game. And also, what new opportunities are out there thanks to that ease of access.”
