Does this failure mean the end of Google's ambitions in the video game industry? A priori, no. "We remain deeply committed to video games, and we will continue to invest in new tools, new technologies, and new platforms capable of fueling the success of developers, partners, not to mention users and creators. using the cloud”, one can read. In addition, Phil Harrison points out that the technology used for Stadia will certainly be used in other departments of Google such as YouTube, Google Play, or even augmented reality.
How will Stadia be unplugged? In the press release, it is specified that a refund system will be put in place so that users who have purchased equipment, games and DLC on the Google Store can be compensated. Note that the Stadia Pro subscription will not be refunded. Let's also add that it will not be necessary to return the hardware to recover its money. And of course, it is already no longer possible to buy games on the store. Until the fateful date - January 18, 2023, therefore - it will be possible to take advantage of the service as has been the case until now, even if Google warns that some technical problems may possibly occur.
Announced as the future of video games, Stadia – launched in November 2019 – will have lasted just under three years. The closure of internal studios was the sign of an end that many employees feared. Moreover, if we trust the indiscretions of Kotaku, at first, Phil Harrison congratulated them for their work and the progress made, before announcing them a few days later the terrible news. In short, the slap was monumental. And then, we must admit that the Stadia catalog has never been a dream. Faced with competition (the PlayStation Plus and the Xbox Game Pass in the lead), the offer was even weak. Finally, it was above all the misleading comparison with Netflix that hampered the start of the service. He will never have managed to recover.
