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Google eyes new video game console; heres how it would change the game
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The video games news website Kotaku reported that Google is working on a video game console that would be more akin to a streaming service device that allows gamers to download their favorite games. - photo by Herb Scribner
Google may be on the cusp of releasing its own video game console.

The video games news website Kotaku reported that Google is working on a video game console that would be more akin to a streaming service device (like a Roku or Apple TV) that allows gamers to download or stream their favorite games, some of which would be developed by Google-owned developers.

Sources told Kotaku that there are three factors to how the console would work:

  • It would be a streaming platform.

  • There would be physical hardware.

  • Google is trying to bring game developers into the fold.

In fact, according to Kotaku, Google met with high-end game developers at the Game Developers Conference in March to discuss the idea of a video game-based streaming service, which is codenamed Yeti.

Google also met with developers at E3 in Los Angeles a few weeks back for the same reason.

Sources told Kotaku that Google hopes to buy game developers outright for the potential streaming service.

Rumors of the Yeti service date back to February. The Information reported that the Yeti would include a subscription service that would allow gamers to download games and wouldnt require discs or hard copies.

In fact, according to Kotaku, Google has thought about entering the video game market since 2014. Rumors even suggested it was ready to buy Twitch, which has become insanely popular among video game streamers.

There were also rumors Google wanted to launch an Android-based console, but nothing ever happened there.

But Googles own Niantic jumped into the video game market in 2016 with Pokemon Go. However, Niantic was an independent developer by that point. (There's actually a lot to that story.)

According to Uproxx, the Yeti idea would be the next step in the console wars, which has traditionally been played out between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo for the last decade.

Googles goal would be to infringe on the territory of the traditional consoles and take down some of the barriers between console and PC gaming, according to Uproxx. And with a company like Google behind the tech and development, its certainly possible that much like Microsoft with the Xbox, Yeti could become the norm in gaming in the future.