Although there is formidable competition, tech giant Google doesn’t seem to be planning to pull the plug on Stadia just yet. In fact, it says it is expanding. However, the game streaming service is not having an easy time of it. Dennis Mons followed it closely over the past few years and tells you exactly how Google made the misstep.
Last week, there was a persistent rumor: Google is discontinuing its streaming service Stadia. However, according to its official Twitter account, nothing could be further from the truth. But with an estimated player base of about two million people, it doesn’t exactly put a damper on the game.
More games on Google Stadia
According to a response to a tweet, Google Stadia is even working on releasing more games on Stadia and Stadia Pro. However, Google barely has any exclusive games for now. Crowd Choice, State Share and Stream Connect are not exactly heavy hitters.
Twitter won’t load because you didn’t give permission.
Stadia is not shutting down. Rest assured we’re always working on bringing more great games to the platform and Stadia Pro. Let us know if you have other questions.
– Stadia 
Oh unless you count Outcasters as well. Which you can play now anyway without a Google Stadia account. But anyway.
Dwarf is a giant landscape
For a company as big as Google, it can’t be said otherwise that it has handled its strategy awkwardly. There are not enough impressive titles and there is formidable competition. In the gaming field, it’s a little guy with a lot of money and barely any results.
Globally, all but Microsoft, Google has a huge amount of servers that could take the gaming service to greater heights. But because of a dastardly launch, with many connection problems, that beta caused much suspicion and few fans.
In addition, demand for the edition with the Stadia controller was relatively high. A good sign you would think, but due to problems Google could not meet this demand either.
PR-wise, it was actually a disaster.
Microsoft is and will remain the streaming king for now
Meanwhile, Microsoft was already paving the way with xCloud. Indeed, this year it expanded by releasing a streaming app on the latest Samsung TVs. This allows you to play Xbox One and Xbox Series games without needing the console. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
With a gimmick, you can even play your Xbox games on the Nvidia Stream Deck, Android devices, iPads, iPhones, and with an even better gimmick (read kind of hack), even on your Nintendo Switch.
Technically, this is also possible with Google Stadia games; but who’s waiting for that?
Google puts its baby teeth in in vain
In all honesty, it feels like the tech company has a toy and has run out of steam on it. The point is also that Stadia (and certainly Stadia Pro) at €9.99 a month is just too expensive. For comparable streaming services, you pay less. At Microsoft, you tap €12.99, but you have access to virtually all exclusive Xbox titles (at the time of launch) and new monthly titles.
Google even has to compete with Apple, because through Arcade (€4.99 per month) you also get more than 200 games ‘for free’.
That’s not even counting PlayStation Now which also has hundreds of games in its catalog, and costs just €8.99. We also bet that Xbox and PlayStation have slightly larger and especially newer titles.
Google Stadia: doomed to failure?
Google is stubbornly persisting with Stadia, but is it smart? As far as I’m concerned, no. Do it right, or don’t do it.
If Google had immediately had a service that worked magisterially and had a few exclusive titles right away, the company might have come in third place shared with Nintendo. Talk to a random person on the street wearing a HALO cap or God of War shirt and ask what they play: answers abound. Ask if they also have Stadia and let the silence overwhelm you.
In case you’re still curious: Google Stadia does let you play games like Lake and thus Outsiders, for free (but the former for a maximum of ninety minutes). And you don’t even need the controller for that. Perhaps this will help Stadia, which we have now deemed doomed, to become a successful platform after all.