Kotaku gives insight into what Google might be showing today

The tech giant has a keynote later today at the Game Developer Conference, where they're claiming to show "the future of gaming."

We've known for a while that Google will be showing their gaming plans today at the Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco - something that SVP of Devices & Services Rick Osterloh says will be the "future of gaming" - and now Kotaku has reported on what they believe is coming in the keynote, scheduled for 10:00 PDT today (17:00 GMT/18:00 CET).

This comes courtesy of Jason Schreier, who has been involved with the conversation around Google's gaming plans for a while now and is a reliable source of insider information. It was him who said the pictures of a mockup Google controller were "not real", and now he's indicating that we likely won't see a console, but instead a streaming platform with a ton of features. There is a new controller included, according to the report, which might just fit on the empty podiums people have spotted at the event and shared on Twitter.

This streaming service will be made possible by the global data centers Google has at their disposal, which means delivering top quality games without the need for hefty consoles. Instead, this report indicates you can play on any platform like PCs, phones, TVs, and more. This might even include using a computer or Chromecast with a regular Xbox controller, although Google's own controller will have streaming capabilities.

In terms of extra features on the platform, there are ambitious ideas described by three alleged sources, including being able to watch a Twitch streamer before directly buying the game being played, downloading it, and starting right from where the streamer is playing, providing the developer has enabled this feature. The developer may also allow you to download it and jump right into a match with the streamer you're watching too.

YouTube integration is also apparently featured, including the ability to go to a specific spot in a YouTube walkthrough video to help with a bit you're stuck on.

Lastly, the same report indicates games will be featured at the keynote as well, but of course make sure to take this all with a pinch of salt until we get official confirmation from the keynote itself, which you can watch on YouTube.

Anticipation is certainly high for Google's announcements, in no small part due to the news regarding personnel that'll be joining Google at GDC. Amy Hennig, Crystal Dynamics, Raph Koster, id Software, and Ubisoft will all be there, and Jade Raymond has even been revealed as Google VP too.

Do you have high hopes for the keynote?