In a predictable move, the technology behemoth Google announced that it was shutting down Stadia – its mobile and cloud gaming service that it had launched only three years prior – after the game streaming platform failed to deliver the revolutionary online gaming experience anticipated by gamers.
Although Stadia allowed anyone with a fast internet connection and a screen to play games that would normally require expensive hardware, the streaming service was largely seen as a disappointment in the gaming scene.
"(Stadia) hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected, so we've made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service," Google announced on Thursday in a blog post.
The company said that while the Stadia shop had been closed, all games would be available to play until January 18, 2023.
Google says it will also refund hardware and game purchases, including add-ons for games. However, on its help page for Stadia gamers, Google says that for most games, players won't be able to migrate their progress to other platforms.
Despite being on game streaming technology that many in the industry believe could one day replace consoles, Stadia is now set to join a host of other axed Google services, including Google Allo, Google Wave and Google+.
Launched in late 2019, Stadia was designed to allow anyone with cheap or expensive hardware, be it an old laptop, an Android phone or TV, to stream demanding games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" or "FIFA 23" from Google's servers.
Anyone with a Google account could log on and play games that are live-streamed from Google's datacentres and controlled with a Stadia controller or a computer keyboard and mouse.
Before its launch, Stadia had built up plenty of hype in the gaming scene with promises of allowing gamers to instantly join gameplay that was being live-streamed by other gamers on YouTube.
Meanwhile, voice control with Google's voice assistant was also set to allow gamers to get tips when struggling with missions during games. However, Stadia's promised features had been slow to appear.
Despite signing major releases from gaming brands like Ubisoft, Rockstar and EA Sports, Stadia had struggled to build a large enough offering to lure gamers away from the Xbox and PlayStation.
While Stadia was available in Full HD resolution in the free version, Google still required games to be purchased. The company had also offered a premium version in 4K for 10 euros ($10) a month with a selection of games included for free.
