On Thursday, Google said it was shutting down Stadia, the cloud video game service it launched three years ago to allow people to access console-quality games as easily as they could. send email.
“It didn’t achieve the user traction we expected, so we made the difficult decision to start reducing Stadia streaming service,” Google Vice President Phil Harrison said in a blog post.
Google says it will refund Stadia hardware purchases, such as controllers, as well as game content purchased through its online store, and players will have access to This service is available until January 18 of the following year.
“They had a great idea and a bad business model,” Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said of Stadia.
“They tried to offer the service as a subscription without the game.”
Xbox-student Microsoftmeanwhile, offers a competitor’s Game Pass service “with a lot of games,” making it a more appealing option for players, Pachter said.
Game Pass has about 25 million subscribers, while Stadia has less than a million, the analyst noted.
Microsoft is considered a heavyweight video game streaming company with Xbox Game Pass service and a large community of players using its console and desktop.
The Redmond, Washington-based company also has a steady stream of video game studios.
And while Microsoft makes Xbox video game consoles, it has led a shift toward allowing people to play titles on Internet-connected devices of their choice with saved titles. stored in the cloud.
Microsoft recently announced that Xbox gaming capabilities will be integrated into Samsung smart TVs in its latest cloud gaming move.
“We’re on a mission to bring joy and gaming community to everyone on the planet, and bringing the Xbox app to smart TVs is another step in making our vision a reality. “, Microsoft Gaming Director Phil Spencer said in a post.
Microsoft pitched itself into the big league in one of the world’s most lucrative markets earlier this year by announcing a $69 billion (about 5,62,730 crore) deal to take over the manufacturer. video games Activision Blizzard – the largest acquisition in the history of the industry.
Earlier this year, Amazon launched video game streaming service Luna to the public in the United States, aiming to expand its multi-industry empire into the booming gaming industry.
Luna allows players to access online gaming directly without a console as part of cloud gaming technology seen as the future direction of the industry.
Luna takes on Microsoft and makes PlayStation, Sony as well as Stadia.
