Google to wind down Stadia streaming service three years after launch

Sept 29 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google mentioned on Thursday it will wind down its shopper gaming service, Stadia, because it failed to draw sufficient curiosity from avid gamers after almost three years of being launched.

Gaming firms are going through a slowdown in demand for video video games from pandemic highs. The near-term prospects for Stadia additionally regarded dim as excessive inflation has brought on some shoppers to cut back their spending on leisure.

“Whereas Stadia’s strategy to streaming video games for shoppers was constructed on a robust expertise basis, it hasn’t gained the traction with customers that we anticipated,” Phil Harrison, vp and normal supervisor of Stadia, mentioned in a blog post.

The corporate mentioned it will be refunding all Stadia {hardware} purchases made by way of the Google Retailer, and all sport and add-on content material purchases made by way of the Stadia retailer.

Nonetheless, gamers will proceed to have entry to their video games library and play by way of Jan. 18.

Final yr, Google mentioned it will cease inner growth of video games for Stadia, making it totally depending on titles from different sport builders and publishers. (https://reut.rs/3dQtXCO)

Stadia was launched in 2019 together with an inner sport growth unit that was anticipated to make titles for the platform.

Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Modifying by Maju Samuel

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