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Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

kotaku.com

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Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#81

Post by meheleventyone »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #41
AlotOfReading wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that they didn't need this in the first place, but this is the venture they started last March [1]. What changed for them in those 10 months that wasn't an obvious trend before? [1] https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/4/21164801/google-stadia-sha...

I presume that they came out of the gate with the sensible perspective that if you build it, and there aren't any games on it, the players won't come. My guess is what changed is that the infrastructure is now viable as infrastructure, they don't need to prop it up with their own game releases.

Likely it’s the other way around and Stadia isn’t doing well enough to think that first party titles released in a few years time will pay development costs or necessarily have a platform to launch on.

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#82

Post by vineyardmike »

Jabbles wrote: post #11

Maybe it's best that Google only owns the platform, not the content. The EU seems to be tired of tech companies owning both: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/platform-busin...

The EU? That tax machine... its a wonder these companies still sell there at all. Seems like they should double down on Asian markets instead of bothering.

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#83

Post by tjalfi »

sneak wrote: post #10

Is there anywhere one can gamble on the month and year that Google shuts down services?

You could register a prediction on Long Bets[0]. If someone disagrees with your prediction you can turn it into a bet.

[0] https://longbets.org/

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#84

Post by itronitron »

Andrex wrote: post #47

From Kotaku[0]: > "The service’s best moments may have been when its third-party ports showed off the strength of the cloud gaming model, in which a game can run well on just about any device with a screen and a strong internet connection. Ubisoft games such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ran well on Stadia. Destiny 2’s Stadia support let players of that game drop in for an extra match or quest from their phone or lapto…

>> >"When Cyberpunk 2077 was faltering on everything else in December, it was running quite well on Stadia."

This is the first time I have heard that, it seems like something that Stadia's marketing team would want to tell people.

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#85

Post by [deleted] »

guardiangod wrote: post #22

I know Google/Stadia recently partnered with LG to bundle the Stadia app with LG TVs, but I wonder why Google doesn't do this with every TV manufacturers (save Sony.) If I were Stadia's marketing chief, I'd 1. Bribe the TV manufacturers to include the Stadia app 2. Advertise that the TV includes _a game console_ during TV commercials. 3. Allow the TV users to pay a bit extra ($20?) to buy a basic game controller. 4.…

[deleted]

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#86

Post by throwaway29303 »

liaukovv wrote: post #53

That was quick

The article says

    Google will continue to operate the Stadia gaming service and its $10 monthly Stadia Pro service. It’s unclear how many, if any, exclusive games will still come to the service, though the company has indicated that it can still sign new games and will bring more third-party releases to the platform. It nevertheless will look to many like a draw down of the plan to have Stadia run as a bona fide competitor to console platforms.
So it's not dead yet. The race is still on.

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#87

Post by neillyons »

anxman wrote: post #42
sneak wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read the article. I'll bet real money that Stadia is cancelled within five years.

Same here and I worked on Stadia

What are your thoughts on market fit for Stadia? It seems like Nintendo made something that people really want with the Switch [1]. Do you know if Stadia is being used much?

[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/1/22259836/nintendo-3q-2020-...

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#89

Post by Exmoor »

scep12 wrote: post #49
crucifiction wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason they don’t push this is because Stadia, like a lot of things, is just a side project at google. It does nothing to drive significant new ad revenue, so it’s never going to get this kind of deep pocket investment.

Then why do it at all? What would possibly justify such a large investment of capital if Google didn't believe it to be a potentially nontrivial contributor of future revenue?

Cynical answer: Because at big tech companies culture leads them to believe they have to have a competing product in every new market rather than letting their "competitors" go unopposed. Occasionally it works out, but often you just get a ton of also-rans. The companies are so big a profitable that even complete failure barely moves the stock price.

Nobody is incentivized to point out the proverbial emperor has no clothes. Top execs have something they can point to as "innovation" for a few quarters. Lower leadership for the project has their kingdom expanded and probably comes out the other end better off career wise. I would imagine its most frustrating for the actual IC's and PM's who pour their lives into something that eventually just gets unceremoniously deprecated, but they get to cash some pretty good paychecks and it probably helps their careers as well.

Re: Google Stadia shuts down internal studios, changing business focus

#90

Post by psyc »

shmageggy wrote: post #74
klipklop wrote: post #66

I don't believe Google has the right culture to make compelling video games anyways. Maybe at best a super safe mario clone for children. Anything remotely controversial will have half the staff protesting threatening to quit.

Why does a game need to be controversial to be compelling?

Compelling to a significant demographic maybe? “Controversial” can include violent. Seems like those games tend to be technically amazing, as well as particularly entertaining / humorous if that’s your thing.
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