If you're a Google Stadia fan, things have been rough recently. There's plenty of rumors over the service shutting down, the Google Stadia Demo Room was removed from the NYC Google Store, and last year Google Stadia shut down its internal studios. Still, the service lives on. Recently, there's been some quality of life features added to Stadia, and now there's a new type of Google Stadia demo that ties progress to achievements.
Half of the players that have demoed Sniper Elite 4 and Control over the past week have apparently received the option of testing this new type of Google Stadia demo. If accepted, players can try the full game out and play until they complete the achievement, which for Sniper Elite 4 means obtaining the aptly-named 'The end of the beginning' achievement. That's only the first mission, but it can apparently take up to an hour and a half to complete and there's no time limit, which is fair.
While Google Stadia has been on the rocks since it launched, this is legitimately a fantastic idea that might push the game industry forward on demos. Having to wait and install a demo (even if it's free) is a barrier to entry, and while streaming demos isn't new, having them tied to achievements allows players to get a fuller experience and a better idea of what to expect.
"We want new players to experience the 'observe…plan… execute…' mantra that sits behind the game," Rebellion North head of studio Arden Asphinall explained to Game Developer. "You can run and gun if you want to, but the best results tend to come from considering your options and planning your attack accordingly."
Other types of demos might be coming in the future as well. Players might be able to try an RPG at level 100 instead of level 1, for instance. Another idea is trying out a turn-based strategy game with a full kingdom instead of a small village. Basically, there's a lot that can be tinkered with, so if you're on the fence about trying these Stadia games, this could be the incentive you've been looking for.
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