Google is shutting down its first party Stadia game development studios, pivoting focus
Google has announced that it is discontinuing all first party software development for its Stadia streaming platform.
In a blog post covering the announcement, Vice President and General Manager of Google Stadia Phil Harrison described that it is shifting its strategy with the platform, stating that it will "provide the best cloud gaming experience for our partners and the gaming community." In effect, this means that Stadia will become a platform for third party developers and publishers to release content on instead of one focused on providing first and third party exclusive content.
Harrison justified the shift in strategy with the exponentially increasing cost of software development. Staff hired to helm this first party software, such as Jade Raymond, have left the company to pursue development jobs at other companies or other roles. Google is "committed to working with this talented team to find new roles and support them."
Harrison concluded the announcement post by stating that existing Stadia users will see no change in service, though with the notorious Killed by Google graveyard and alternatives including Amazon Luna and Nvidia's GeForce NOW, time will tell if Stadia remains a viable platform.
Further coverage: Google Blog
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Stadia is Google's new cloud-based gaming platform that allows you to play your favourite hit video games across screens instantly.