In short: Invites to try out Assassin’s Creed Odyssey over a streaming connection in Google’s Chrome browser are now reportedly rolling out for those who signed up through the search giant’s Project Stream initiative. Chrome users who see the invite will receive a one-time use setup code that solely applies to the Google login it is used for and only works with a single account. Those who take advantage of the invite will also need to log into or create a Ubisoft account to get started but will be receiving $10 of in-game currency for their participation. More invites will continue rolling out over the next couple of months.
Background: Although Google has been rumored to have a streaming gaming solution in the works since at least June, Project Stream only just announced earlier this month. The former of those is expected to be a three-pronged approach involving a game platform, streaming, and hardware similar not the company’s Chromecast streaming dongle. Bearing that in mind, this latest promotion through Project Stream appears to be serving as a testbed for those efforts. Participants will be able to play the latest of Ubisoft’s titles, itself only just revealed at E3 2018 a few months ago, free of charge without needing to download the title or a dedicated streaming client. They’ll also be able to continue doing so through January 15 of next year, although progress and achievements won’t be saved in any form when the final game is released. All that’s needed is an installation of Google Chrome in a desktop format and a consistent internet connection of at least 25 Mbps. A mouse and keyboard or console-style controller will, of course, also be required since this is a video game but Google will walk users through the process of ensuring their internet connection and browser are up to the task and up-to-date.
Impact: This test run of Project Stream serves the dual purpose of promoting the newest entry in Ubisoft’s long-running action-heavy historical fiction series and giving Google insights into streaming video games. More importantly, Assassin’s Creed is a triple-A title that doesn’t necessarily go easy on hardware. So the results of testing and feedback from users could be just what Google needs to shore up any inconsistencies, bugs, or drawbacks of its streaming platform to get that off the ground. In the meantime, sign-ups are still open for anybody who may not have applied to participate.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Project Stream Signup