Google Stadia will feature free 30-minute game 'trials'

Gaming streaming service Google Stadia appears to have added support for free trial games, starting with its own exclusive game. The feature allows free tier users to access a 30-minute version of Hello Engineer before deciding whether to spend $20 to purchase it. 

Hello Engineer is a new free game for Pro level subscribers, but it costs $20 if you are not one. However, below the purchase/application with Pro options is a new "Free Trial" button that allows you to play for free for 30 minutes.

Once you start the game, a countdown timer comes on, and it doesn't stop even if the game is paused. At the end, Google will ask if you want to purchase the game while keeping your current progress.

Google hasn't officially mentioned the new option yet, and there's no word on whether the practice will spread to other games. But it seems like a great idea, as it saves developers from having to create separate democrat versions of their games. It's also a complete plus for players, as 30 minutes is usually more than enough time to figure out if they like the game and make a purchasing decision.

Source: 9to5google

Illustration: Moises Gonzalez