How many people get to exclaim that they called it? Because in January 2023, Google will be shutting down Stadia, its cloud streaming game service. Stadia launched back in 2019, and allowed users to purchase games through the service, and have them streamed to their device via the cloud. It also offered a subscription service that cost $10 a month, and featured 4K resolution support and a library of free games each month.

Things began to get shaky for Stadia in early 2021, following the departure of the project's VP, and then the prompt closing of all internal Stadia game development studios. After the decision to not develop any indie games in-house after that, it was reported that Google paid "ten of millions" of dollars to secure AAA Stadia ports. Back in July of this year, the official Stadia Twitter account assured fans that it was not shutting down amidst rumors and reports that the opposite was true.

Google's reasoning behind shutting down Stadia is that it never gained the traction that the company expected it to. Anyone who has purchased any Stadia games will have until January 18, 2023 to play them, and after which, the service will be shuttered. Customers that made any purchases, whether it was Stadia games, add-on content, or even hardware, will be fully refunded by the end of January 2023.

We’re grateful to the dedicated Stadia players that have been with us from the start. We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store. Players will continue to have access to their games library and play through January 18, 2023 so they can complete final play sessions. We expect to have the majority of refunds completed by mid-January, 2023. We have more details for players on this process on our Help Center.

The underlying technology platform that powers Stadia has been proven at scale and transcends gaming. We see clear opportunities to apply this technology across other parts of Google like YouTube, Google Play, and our Augmented Reality (AR) efforts — as well as make it available to our industry partners, which aligns with where we see the future of gaming headed. We remain deeply committed to gaming, and we will continue to invest in new tools, technologies and platforms that power the success of developers, industry partners, cloud customers and creators.

Source

 

[NumberXIIIEdwin]

Saw this coming a mile away. I don’t have a problem with cloud gaming per se, as long as it’s used as a supplementary service and not the main one. I knew this was going to happen when they announced you’d have to pay full price for games you’d never be able to download. If it was a subscription with a library of games it’s one thing, but paying full price for a game you’d instantly lose the moment the service shuts down. At least they’re offering everyone full refunds.

 

[pedro702]

when they shutted down all game studios making stadia exclusives this was already coming, im guessing google was loosing more money keeping the servers than gaining through purchases.

Also stadia store is already down you cant buy anything anymore so any developer that had games coming now cant even recoup there development costs now because their games cat even be purchased anymore.

 

[Guacaholey]

why even bother might as well get a ps5! if your not willing to go big to get max results on a pc than stick to consoles

Well given that literally every Sony console has the same DRM flaw I'm not in any rush to support a company like Sony. PC versions of games are usually superior as well, except for when the ports are an afterthought or the game itself is bad.

 

[eduall]

Thanks God for erase this cloud gaming service... Cloud means forgiveness....

 

[ChibiMofo]

This is awesome! I bought the launch package with the limited edition controller and it is still new in the box. And now I'll get a full refund AND get to keep what I bought???!!! Thank you, Google!

 

[Marc_LFD]

Thanks God for erase this cloud gaming service... Cloud means forgiveness....

There'll still be xCloud, but at least Microsoft has a much better grasp of how it works than Google.

How tf did it make sense to charge full MSRP for streamed games?? Those who bought it are very lucky they're getting refunds, but if they didn't, they'd realize how dumb it was to throw money down the toilet.

 

[Guacaholey]

There'll still be xCloud, but at least Microsoft has a much better grasp of how it works than Google.

How tf did it make sense to charge full MSRP for streamed games?? Those who bought it are very lucky they're getting refunds, but if they didn't, they'd realize how dumb it was to throw money down the toilet.

It doesn't really make sense to buy movies through Google/YouTube either but people do it.

 

[pedro702]

It doesn't really make sense to buy movies through Google/YouTube either but people do it.

its all about server costs, having a server to stream a movie is thousands times cheaper than a server to stream games, becuase all the movies have the same requirement to play, games dont.Also input delay and stuff doesnt matter on movies.

 

[tech3475]

There'll still be xCloud, but at least Microsoft has a much better grasp of how it works than Google.

How tf did it make sense to charge full MSRP for streamed games?? Those who bought it are very lucky they're getting refunds, but if they didn't, they'd realize how dumb it was to throw money down the toilet.

Stadia always felt like a mismanaged product, if they wanted streaming only then IMO they should have launched like Netflix or Xcloud and make it subscription only, with just a load of games to choose from, even if many were slightly older.

It wasn't uncommon to see people saying it was doomed anyway, making it subscription only would at least reduce any fears from getting into the service as IIRC the only 'promise' they made was that you could preserve your saves.

For a 'to own' service, they should have had a local client as an option for PC and possibly have FIFA and COD from day 1 to try and coax casuals onto the service, even promoting it as an alternative to the then next gen systems which would become hard to buy.

 

[Marc_LFD]

It doesn't really make sense to buy movies through Google/YouTube either but people do it.

I've claimed free soundtracks from the Play Store Music department, but buy? No. The files are MP3 (like why!) and it's not even organized in a manner to make a personal backup.

MP3 is outdated, at least update to M4A.

 

[AboodXD]

Man... Why Do So Many PC Gamer Noobs Fall For These Type Of Scams?

Why Are You Typing Like This?

 

[p1ngpong]

More like Leavetia amirite?

AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Takoto]

Very much not surprised about Stadia getting the boot, but am surprised about the refunds. Never got a Stadia myself but seems like a nice gesture to those who did.

 

[codenameTOSTR]

This is one of the comsoles of all time.

 

[susbaconhairman]

haha capitalist bastards

 

[SirHacksALot]

Why Are You Typing Like This?

Because I Have The Freedom Of Speech

 

[ChiefReginod]

Google doesn't value its content producers. News at eleven.

 

[Henx]

Another one added to the graveyard
https://killedbygoogle.com/

Stadia was doomed from the beginning. I do not feel comfortable knowing the games you pay are never yours, but they live in someone else's computer, which now is going to be shut down. Physical games are unfortunately a necessity to preserve gaming history.

 

[SirHacksALot]

Another one added to the graveyard
https://killedbygoogle.com/

Stadia was doomed from the beginning. I do not feel comfortable knowing the games you pay are never yours, but they live in someone else's computer, which now is going to be shut down. Physical games are unfortunately a necessity to preserve gaming history.

100% True

 

[Marc_LFD]

Another one added to the graveyard
https://killedbygoogle.com/

Stadia was doomed from the beginning. I do not feel comfortable knowing the games you pay are never yours, but they live in someone else's computer, which now is going to be shut down. Physical games are unfortunately a necessity to preserve gaming history.

I don't know how there were people who stupidly paid $60 for games they didn't even get a digital game license of, it was purely streaming so they didn't "own" anything.

They should take this as a warning to spend their money wisely because other corporations would simply shut it down and no refunds for anyone (how it should've been, honestly).