I don't want to say we called it but... Stadia goes... POOF in January 2023!

Did we call it or... did we call it?

Google sent out this email on the 29th of September... about the Stadia service shutting down on January 18, 2023. I wanted to hold off as we prepared for Hurricane Ian (yikes). Anyway, here's the actual email from Google if you didn't receive it.

Dear Stadia player,

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On September 29, 2022, we announced that the Stadia service will be shut down on January 18, 2023. We’re getting in touch with important information on what this means for you as a Stadia player.

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Availability

Stadia will remain available for gameplay until the service is shut down on January 18, 2023. During this period, you will have access to your game library, including Pro games if you had an active Pro subscription as of September 29, 2022. Be aware that publisher support for games may vary, and it’s possible that your gameplay experience may be affected during the shut-down period.

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Refunds

Google is offering a refund to Stadia users for Stadia hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Stadia Founder’s Edition, Stadia Premiere Edition, or Play and Watch with Google TV Package) made on the Google Store, and game purchases and add-on purchases made on the Stadia Store. The refund process will take some time, but we expect to have the majority of refunds processed by January 18, 2023. We expect to be able to automatically issue refunds for a substantial portion of transactions as a credit to the form of payment used to make the purchase. For purchases that we are not able to automatically refund, you will receive an email with details on how to obtain your refund.

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Transactions and subscription fees

All commerce functionality (the ability to buy games, new subscriptions, add-ons or in-game purchases) on Stadia has now been disabled. Users who held an active Stadia Pro subscription as of September 29, 2022 will not be charged for access to their Pro library or other subscription entitlements during the shut-down period. Historical Stadia Pro subscription fees will not be eligible for refund.

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Your Stadia account and data

You will be able to export your Stadia data, such as profile information, game stats, social data, save files and captures from Google Takeout until the Stadia service shuts down on January 18, 2023, after which point your Stadia data will be permanently deleted. You can also delete Stadia from your Google account at any time or delete your Google account entirely. Please note that deleting your Google account will result in deletion of all data and content in that account, including emails, photos, and files, and may increase the amount of time it takes to receive a refund of your Stadia purchases. Google may however retain certain data, including transaction data, for up to three years following the shut-down of the service for the purposes of processing refunds and providing customer support.

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More information is available in the Help Center, which will be updated as new information becomes available.

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The Stadia team

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We don't celebrate when people are being laid off for something they had no control over, but... the people on top should have had a bit more foresight on how to approach this. I don't know, maybe Google Play could've had a cloud option so they could sneak it in there without as many expectations, but... there weren't must-play exclusives. Whatever you could play on Stadia, you could play anywhere else, and those other options... came with more options. Even "Get Packed" was similar to "Moving Out". Gylt was ok, but... no.

I think Amazon Luna is the closest in competition to Stadia, but... Amazon has first-party games (i.e. Lost Ark & New World to show for their serious game dev efforts) and took a soft approach for some time with free games, offering free in-game exclusives, etc. Amazon could have made sure that Lost Ark was released first on Luna... but with so many people having a Prime account, it's shrugged off. Google doesn't have an Amazon Prime equivalent.

Twitch is an Amazon platform also (not to say Youtube isn't bigger) but... Amazon utilizes the platform for Luna and those Prime perks also benefit you there. Not to mention, you can stream your Amazon Luna gameplay on Twitch straight from the cloud.

Amazon Luna is included with Prime, just like Prime Music, Prime Video, and so on. Even if they're the basic options to give you a taste of what you could enjoy with a premium plan... you get perks out the wazoo! The games on Amazon Luna at the base level rotate periodically, and you're able to play them from anywhere you have an internet connection. They should have an ultimate plan so that you don't have to decide between retro, family, or their core gaming subscription options only, but... it is what is for now with room for improvement. They should keep exclusives in mind for Luna though if they want to become more competitive.

I mention all the extras because Stadia couldn't touch Amazon Luna... so it definitely didn't have a chance against other platforms like Steam, Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo.

If you have a Fire TV, a Fire TV Stick (4K Max), the upcoming Fire TV Cube (4K Ultra HD), Fire Tablet, or even your standard mobile device or PC... you can enjoy Amazon Luna. So even if they appear as if they're similar, there are differences. Will Google get out of gaming for good? Well... they still have Google Play, but maybe Stadia was just too ambitious at the moment (plus let's not forget that Nintendo is stepping into the cloud gaming arena too).

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Dear Developers: Slow Your Roll

Dear Developers,

If you haven't heard by now... Google has shut down the internal studios for its Stadia platform. I shared my concern in a prior post some time back because I didn't know where the platform would go as a streaming service. There are multiple options for gaming, so you have to make sure that you're on point with everything regarding your service or products.

Google isn't completely shutting down Stadia, it's their first-party games... which tends to be the siding factor on what platform a gamer will invest in. Closing studios is... not a good look!

They could have taken the 3rd party route first, making multiplatform games (under... "Google Games" or "Stadia Studios" or something) and built up a library before they took the Stadia platform route.

At the same time, they could have just started on Google Play and built up their 1st party developer status. From there they could have flipped it and made console games available on Chromecast w/ Google TV once it was ready and keep the achievements tied to the same system as mobile apps. I just think there was too much going on to do too much because the competitors have been strong in the console department... and PC is a beast so the best bet would've been Google Play.

When the time came for streaming, all the games would've needed in Google Play was their own category representing first party originals with a little label to represent them as stream-only titles.

Ideas may seem great at the time, but... it's always good to take the best route for longevity and victory. You don't want to spread yourself thing only to exhaust much-needed resources. I don't know what the cancellation of first-party games will mean for Stadia, but... if they bundle it with another service I think it could survive. 

Overall, they need to keep 1st & 2nd party development in the conversation... because Onlive was 3rd party-only too, and you saw what happened there. Two of the studios will close which will impact 150 developers... and that sucks royally. Try again when you can Google, but... slow your roll.

Read more on Google's plan to close their Montreal & LA studios... here!

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My Response To: Ugly Guys Need To Work Harder + More!

Apple Arcade vs Google Stadia? Its On!!!

If you haven't heard... Apple has responded to Google (indirectly) with their own gaming platform.

Yes, folks, the Apple Arcade will be launching Fall 2019... but how will it compare? I guess it doesn't really have to compare, but I've seen... more promise from Google's Stadia platform.

I won't crap on Apple Arcade, because who knows what will be released on it. The Pathless... looks pretty good, so does OCEANHORN 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Beyond a Steel Sky... which has a Borderlands meets Fallout vibe to it... and more. So who knows.

Apple Arcade will be an... All You Can Play subscription service.

No ads... No in-app purchases. 100+ games will be available.

Playable on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and... Apple TV (including offline... anywhere).

One plus I see with this is the ability for 6 family members to use the subscription. So families that use Apple products faithfully (which wouldn't be me)... they can game on one subscription.

Can they game all at once? Who knows. That... would be a question worth knowing, because taking turns would suck... royally. If everyone can game simultaneously, that's multiplayer action without the need to fish through a server (if you can game online with this).

Overall, I think it's good, because... both Apple and Google are giving their customer's more options. As long as the price is right... they should be fine, but I still think that Google has the upper hand as far as core gamers are concerned... just feels like there's more there. Doesn't mean it makes for better games... but Stadia caught my eye so much more than Apple Arcade. 

I'm not buying Apple products for that. Either way... if it means more people gaming, thumbs up!

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Google Stadia: This is how you rock the boat!

If Google doesn't mess this up... and they actually already have the structure in place for Stadia to be used the way they're presenting it (as seen below)... it could be worth the investment. If the price is right!

Google is approaching the mound of what other companies like Onlive have approached, and I don't want to jinx anything... but I think Google has made enough sound decisions in this department to do okay. Gaming is a different beast... but who knows, i'm optimistic.

The Stadia controllers look like they could use some work, but... I think they really have something on their hands that can break ground where others have failed. They already have multiple other products, and to actually use some of those products in combination with their gaming platform... brings gamers closer to something I've mentioned in the past.

You can turn your gaming session into an event without 3rd party software to make it tick. I don't want to jinx anything, but based on what they're presenting... it really does feel like that. YouTube can be tied in, chat, and who knows what else. Onlive didn't have the user base Google has, and they already have multiple mobile gamers downloading and pouring crap tons of hours into titles available on Google Play... so I really think this will work.

Enjoy the keynote and i'll get back to you with more gab in about an hour and 19 minutes.

As you see, they're presenting Stadia as a platform that allows you to play AAA games (from 1080p up to the future 8k) on PC, Phone, and TV without major hardware on your end. You can play with devices you already have... which is a plus, so regardless of what controllers they have, you can use your own.

Their controller connects directly to your wireless, and has other features like capture, but if they're allowing others to be used... some features should work with the tried and true that some of us hold near and dear.

If their controller is awesome, and the platform proves to be something built for the long haul... it could be worth the buy... (say it with me) if the price is right! One of the biggest pluses that Stadia could bring... (in my opinion) is the ability to play with more people. I wrote a "Dear Developer" post about how some games eliminate their own potential player base merely based on specs.

So to have something like Stadia that doesn't require gamers to have hardware to back up that desire to game... the player base should boom (plus they presented it as being open to cross-platform). There are people i'd love to game with more often, but usually don't because they're on alternate systems, or simply don't own one. Everyone I know has a mobile phone and a TV. Give me a sec (geeking).

Internet speed requirements will be the biggest factor next to price... when it comes to Stadia.
I really don't think that games will be a problem... because Google Play has already stood the test of time, unlike Onlive.

They're working on 1st party titles (via STADIA Games & Entertainment), which Valve has gone to sleep on (can't say Google won't do the same with Stadia, but lets see). It looks like Stadia will also have 2nd party titles, and 3rd party should be a major duh considering the user base Google has. There will undoubtedly be a bunch of re-releases.

K.A. threw out the possibility that Google might just be offering a streaming service of games that we already own, versus being competition for the... competition, but I highly doubt it. That would result in them using their resources to help you stream games you bought else where. Good luck on that.

This is how you rock the boat in a good way. Developers and gamers win. One thing that hasn't come up in the chatter is... how is it going to impact the iPhone? Google could rock the iPhone if you can't use Stadia on it, because gamers that really want it on their phones would be put in a position where they have to make a decision... or own two phones.

Options are good... and I hope this is yet another great one that brings more of us together for memorable game play moments. I could end this by saying "Thank you and Good Night!", but I have to bring up a potential downside.

Google allows you to report people on YouTube, and sometimes its a good thing, but sometimes... people get reported for no reason at all and channels get affected. That can wreck a gamer's channel, and potentially their account. Don't know how that will all work out, but i'm sure there will be enough vocal gamers out there to help them work out the kinks.

As seen in the announcement... Stadia takes launch in 2019, which might seem too soon, but they might be launching to get ahead of the competition like, Microsoft. Who knows how it might affect Xbox, but the writing on the wall is showing more and more (to me) as Microsoft turns to PC.

Google doesn't have a vested interest in consoles, so releasing something like Stadia that doesn't require hardware updates on our end... gets a thumbs up if it lasts, and... if the price is right. 

THANK YOU, GOOD NIGHT, and... GAME ON!

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