Google gears up to launch streaming game service Stadia

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Google is calling its upcoming game streaming service "a revolution for the industry".

Stadia will be released on November 19th and available in 14 countries.

It will let consumers play video games across multiple devices in their home without downloads, making access to games potentially as easy as watching a video on YouTube.

Google's vice president Phil Harrison says games are streamed from Google data centres, while a Chromecast Ultra device is plugged into a television to make the connection.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GOOGLE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, PHIL HARRISON, SAYING:

"The graphics chip that we have in our version one hardware, which is what gamers will be playing this November, is equivalent to the latest, greatest game consoles combined. It is the most powerful place to play and it delivers the most incredible gaming experience for players."

Analysts have said the service could significantly boost returns from Google's huge investments in cloud software and data centers.

Wired UK Editor Greg Williams:

(SOUNDBITE) (English) WIRED UK EDITOR, GREG WILLIAMS, SAYING:

.

"If you think about what Netflix did to television for instance and movies or what Spotify has done to music, that idea of streaming on demand when you want it is a really powerful one. Now, Stadia will be slightly different in that it isn't an all you can eat style platform, you will have to pay for some individual games, but what's interesting is that Google has so many advantages in the space right now"

The Stadia Founder's Edition package, priced at $129, will enable people to play video games such as Destiny 2 from the launch day.

But Google faces competition from gaming and tech companies planning similar services.

Analysts have also questioned whether top game publishers will be prepared to shift from the lucrative business of selling games on discs.

Nvidia, Sony and Microsoft have also been exploring streaming options.

The latter two dominate the $100 billion global games market outside China.