Examples of Damage Control in Gaming: Google’s Stadia Silence

Google’s Stadia video game streaming platform is stumbling out the gate, to no surprise. One glance at the initial lineup was enough to think this would happen, since it almost entirely consisted of games available on other platforms. The higher prices for less ownership for some of them didn’t help, which publishers always love to try and get away with for launch software. Only one original game that received a middling critical reception was part of the lineup.

More remarkable is how Stadia is stumbling harder than the cynics who concluded that this would be the new Ouya expected, and those who shared lists of all the services Google has unceremoniously suffocated over the years. The combination of the initial lineup, uncertainty of the concept, and streaming performance not living up to promises were also big factors.

It’s also not helping that Google is already giving it the silent treatment. Early last week, a thread made in the Stadia subreddit noted how it had been 69 days since the service launched at the time, and 40 days since Google provided a significant update. Features are still missing, too, including iOS and Android support outside, of course, Google’s own Pixel line, and the free subscription option for anyone on the fence about paying for this. This subreddit is one of the most positive places to discuss the service, but they, needless to say, didn’t feel this was “nice.” (I’m not sorry.) Google representatives also tend to respond in the threads, so this was the best place to ask where the announcements were.

Not to say they’ve been completely silent. Google confirmed in January that more than 120 games are planned to release for Stadia in 2020, a claim met with skepticism after they didn’t specify what any of those games would be.

Coincidentally, Google announced the two free games that will be available for subscribers throughout February mere hours after the thread’s creation: Metro: Exodus and Gylt. The former is a notable choice because the game will celebrate the first anniversary of its release this month, and a new expansion was confirmed to arrive on February 11th on all platforms. The latter is the system’s only exclusive, though as mentioned above, the “okay” critical reception didn’t help it. This announcement might have been planned before that thread was made, but I prefer to think of it as an initial reaction.

Google further responded to an inquiry from GamesIndustry.biz. They claimed that they’ve provided weekly updates on future projects through the Stadia Community Forum, and recaps on the Keyword blog every month. Sure, that’s nice, but the post voiced concern about “significant” updates. They also reiterated the above “more than 120 games” claim, with ten exclusive titles due for release in the first half of this year. Most of the games, they noted, are coming from other publishers, and they’re leaving announcements of those titles to them.

This may be unintentional, but part of their statement makes it sound like they’re shifting some blame to other publishers who haven’t announced anything big for Stadia in a while. Third-party titles will be important for any system, even if they’re also on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — and their successors in the near future. But future subscribers will invest in this for the exclusives, and it would be nice to know the identities of those ten games they have planned. Maybe that will wait until the next Stadia Connect, assuming they still plan on providing those. They haven’t aired one since August.

The New Year post clarified how 4K resolution and wireless controller support for all controllers (only the official Stadia controller can be used wirelessly at the moment) will arrive by the end of March. The question is whether people’s internet speeds and Google’s servers will be able to handle 4K well enough for it to be practical, especially in more rural parts of the country and world. We’ll find out. Support for additional Android phones and more Assistant functions are also due by March’s closure. Notice how the option to play games on iOS is missing, which means it could take a while longer to arrive.

It’s still too early to declare Stadia as anything close to a failure. New services always have slow starts, especially so considering that game streaming is still in its infancy. But Google’s silence and the need for users and the press to pressure them into responding isn’t a sign of confidence. The identities of the 120 games they have planned will determine whether Google is committed to making this successful.

If they do want to make it a success, they don’t have much time to do it. Not only is it harder (but not impossible, notably) to make a service successful after it’s been on the market for several months, it won’t be long before Microsoft’s xCloud and Sony’s PlayStation Now streaming services are more competitive. Both will be more formidable as the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 release this fall and pick up steam on the market, and it would be in Google’s best interest to establish Stadia as hard as possible before then. If they don’t, clear out a space on that list of dearly departed Google services.