Stadia will cease next January.
For years it has been possible to see that in the video game industry there are mainly big three console makersbeing so, no matter what happens, in most reports the sales and the performance of Nintendo, PlayStation and Xboxbeing an example of this that the majority of sales are made in the current consoles of these three companies (two Japanese and one American), these being Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series Xalthough all this without overlooking the PC, which has its own category due to its format.
Despite all this, it must be said that for years many large companies have tried to enter the video game industry not only with the launch of their own games, but also with the development, production and subsequent sale of their own consoles or platforms, being that, foolishly, we have been able to see how Amazon, Google, among others have screwed up in this market with more or less success. However, it seems that one of these giants has decided to throw in the towel.
Next year they will finally close all Google Stadia services
Although this month we have had all kinds of announcements, there is no denying the fact that the closure of Google Stadia has been one of the bombs that he did not want to wait for the start of a new fiscal quarter, even though, through an official statement, it has been announced that Google is ending its game streaming servicethis being a termination that will take place next year.
In this way, the general manager of the American company, Phil Harrison, has admitted that, after being presented as a great promise at a GCD conference in 2019, Google Stadia has failed to gain the attraction of users that they expected at its launch, this being a period of time that already has almost three years behind it.
Likewise, it must be added that not all is lost for those who decided to trust the Google Stadia service, since it has been confirmed by the American company that all hardware purchases made will be refunded through the Google Store on a par with all games and additional content purchased through the Stadia Store, which can cost Google a significant outlay of money. On the other hand, it has been confirmed that players will have access to the Stadia title library until January 18, 2023so we only have a little over 3 and a half months left of this service.
Stadia will cease operation as of January 18, 2023
Along with this statement Harrison has also commented that Google has been investing in multiple aspects of the video game industry for years, this being something that would be reflected in the aid offered to developers to create and distribute different game applications both in Google Play and Google Play Games, being that the fact that the rise in gaming audience on different live streaming services motivated them to launch Google Stadia at the time.
However, as I have already mentioned in previous paragraphs, Harrison affirms that, despite the fact that Stadia was launched with a focus on streaming games for consumers based on strong technologythe truth is that he has not even remotely managed to win the affection of the fans, this being what has led them to make this difficult decision. In fact, to remember, the truth is that the only moment in these almost 3 years in which Stadia has really stood out was when Cyberpunk 2077 had its best version on this platform no performance glitches.
Despite everything, it should be noted that it seems that Google does not throw in the towel with the games, since they affirm that will continue to invest in new toolsas well as in technology and platforms that promote the success of the different development teams, as well as in cloud clients, which can be translated into enhance your other servicessuch as Youtube, Google Play, as well as Augmented Reality.
Incidentally, it must be said that in the Google team have been very grateful for the innovative work that has been carried out, hoping that the passage of Google Stadia, although brief, manages to have an impact both in games and in other technology industries in terms of data transmission.
Google will refund all money to fans who have invested in Stadia through returns and refunds in its stores
It should be noted that, in a certain sense, this was the chronicle of a death foretold, since Google Stadia has never really taken off in terms of criticism and sales, even though the arrival of titles on this platform was less over time. It was for this reason that at the beginning of this year it was possible to see a Business Insider report in which it was mentioned and stated that Google had changed the focus of its Stadia division in order to secure agreements with different partners, such as Peloton, Capcom and Bungie.
In fact, these last two came close to sign agreements to integrate their cloud streaming technology directly into their games. On the other hand, this news, which gives weight to the chronicle of a death foretold, is complemented by the fact that closed their in-house game development studiosin order to improve associations with third parties, being something that has not gone well seen what has been seen.
In fact, talking about the events that have preceded this cancellation and cessation of Stadia, we even saw the departure of Jade Raymond as Head of Stadia Games. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether or not Google ends up giving this industry another chance in the future.