Stadia ‘going to get better’ as Gylt developer hints at ‘super cool’ upcoming features

Since the holidays, there’s been a lull in official Stadia announcements from Google. However, an interview today with Gylt’s Tequila Works reveals some insight into the development process and hints about what’s coming to Stadia.

GamesIndustry.biz interviewed Tequila Works CEO and creative director Raul Rubio. Google “financed and produced” what became limited-time exclusive Gylt. In terms of the development process, with Stadia approaching two years ago, the studio notes how Google provided an “influx of data” and user testing, including where people got stuck.

Otherwise, Google “has been very hands off” artistically, according to Rubio. The streaming service was interestingly looking for a “narrative-focused, indie exclusive without online or multiplayer.”

Today’s article also takes a look at why studios might find Stadia appealing to develop for. For example, it was a “game changer” to be able to play Gylt test builds on a phone instead of custom console equipment.

The Tequilla Works CEO is overall positive about the future of streaming and equates the current state to the early days of Steam. Asked specifically about an outlook on Stadia, the Gylt developer interestingly demurs until the service is a year old, hinting at “many features that are super cool that are not active yet” and a general timeline.

“I know that they are working to make it better every day. I know it’s going to get better, because there are a few features that are going to blow people’s minds.”

In terms of what that could possibly be for Gylt, the existing lack of online or multiplayer would rule out the likes of Stream Connect. An in-game Google Assistant would help players, while streaming would aid sharing. Yesterday, we reported on a “Semantic ML” tool that can help create “believable” character and in-game AIs.