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It goes without saying that when Google unveiled its cloud-based gaming subscription service, a lot of heads turned. Would it be the future of gaming? The answer looked like a resounding yes, but on September 29, 2022, Google announced the service’s shutdown only after three years.
It came as a surprise. Google Stadia looked to capitalise on the growing mobile gaming scene by crafting an exclusive and high-performing cloud gaming service. The mobile gaming scene’s growth looked to make it a sure-fire win.
For instance, the growth of the iGaming industry can be strongly linked to the burst of interest in mobile gaming. Both websites and apps are optimised so that customers get a reliable and consistent experience between devices. This is especially important of games that demand more of a device’s hardware and software. Players don’t want to have to be selective, taking into consideration which device they’re on before choosing a game. As such, due to the technological advancements pushed by companies within the iGaming industry and outside of it, players have the freedom to play what they want on any device. For instance, LeoVegas offer live dealer games on both their desktop sites and mobile apps that perform as strongly on both. This innovative new genre of game is popular, so ensuring a seamless experience between devices is paramount.
Google Stadia will have felt that same potential, making it doubly surprising that Google has given up on the endeavour.
What went wrong? Let’s take a look at Stadia first.
What Was Google Stadia?
In short, Google Stadia was a cloud gaming service operated by Google. It worked like this: you purchased a Stadia controller and a subscription or used the free option. You needed at least 10 Mbit/s of Internet speed. With all this, Google streamed games from its library directly to your device.
The service amassed 278 games during its lifetime, with popular games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny 2 and many others. However, these top games were only available for paid subscribers.
All this sounds incredibly interesting. The subscription costs were less or equal to competing ones like Sony Playstation Now, but you didn’t need expensive hardware to enjoy playing the games. And let’s not forget this was backed by none other than Google.
What Went Wrong
When it was released, the service received mixed reviews. For example, some gaming outlets complained about poor image quality, including games not being rendered at 4K resolution, which was a paid feature.
Another problem is Internet connectivity. Say you’re a Stadia enthusiast and only have a smartphone to play on the go. What happens when you have poor connectivity? You can’t play anymore. That’s what happens. Or, more infuriatingly, lagging issues might make you lose.
However, the reasons for its failure are more profound than simply tech issues that can be addressed.
One of the most important considerations is whether the world was ready for such a proposition or not. For instance, people like owning things. When given the chance, most would opt for purchasing a game instead of paying a monthly subscription, even if it allows them more games or features.
Harcore gamers have powerful computers, so the advantage of not using their devices to play is a moot point. The other possible customer, the one that Google most likely wanted to attract, was the casual gamer that hadn’t spent thousands on equipment. However, this casual gamer is simply not interested enough to pay a monthly subscription to play.
Another issue was game development. For example, your regular Steam copy wouldn’t work on Stadia, so developers had to port their games for this specific service, which is costly and time-consuming. This brings up another important point: the lack of exclusives.
All three major players in the gaming sector, namely, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, have exclusive games you can’t find anywhere else. Nintendo has Mario, what does Google have?
The Future of Cloud Gaming
The demise of Stadia is probably going to set back cloud gaming as a concept for some time. However, Sony is doing fine with its PlayStation Plus Premium service, which allows you to do the same as Stadia proposed: stream games you don’t own directly to your console.
This means that cloud gaming as a concept works, and it needs more fine-tuning to become a hit. Perhaps it won’t replace traditional gaming concepts such as owning a powerful device and games. However, it can be a worthwhile option for people who can’t afford such devices, or just want to play a bit on the go.
