Tech giant, Google, has indicated that it will not investing further in the internal development of games on its Stadia platform.
In 2019, Google launched Stadia, a video game platform, delivering instant access to your favorite games on any type of screen—whether it’s a TV, laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone.
When Google launched the Stadia platform, it set up an internal team to develop games for the platform. However, over the years, it noted that “creating best-in-class games from the ground up takes many years and significant investment, and the cost is going up exponentially. “
It also stated that it is expanding its efforts to assist game developers and publishers take advantage of its platform technology and deliver games directly to their players.
“We see an important opportunity to work with partners seeking a gaming solution all built on Stadia’s advanced technical infrastructure and platform tools. We believe this is the best path to building Stadia into a long-term, sustainable business that helps grow the industry,” says Phil Harrison, Vice President and GM, Google Stadia in a blog post.
With this new development and the increased focus on using Stadia’s technology platform for industry partners, Jade Raymond, head of Google’s Stadia Games and Entertainment, is leaving Google.
Stadia witnessed a surge in users in 2021 after the tech giant gifted two months of free access to its premium version to gamers sheltering at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.