There's some bad news for all the Stadians out there: According to a new report, Google is seeking to save its Stadia streaming service by partnering with startups like Peloton to create interactive experiences and online demos rather than focusing on video games.
Google is quietly abandoning Stadia
This information comes from a Business Insider piece released yesterday, which portrays a less-than-favorable picture of Stadia's future.
Stadia's leader, Phil Harrison, is now reporting to Google's vice president of subscription services, rather than directly to Google's hardware head, Rick Osterloh, according to reports.
Insiders see this as a demotion for the entire Stadia service as a result of lackluster sales and performance that fell far short of Google's goals, according to the article.
Google Stadia now appears to be focusing on lucrative collaborations with other firms to design and power experiences for them.
And, strangely enough, some of these collaborations have already been observed, with a recent game found on Peloton bikes being powered by Google Stream, which is supposedly the new title for Google's Stadia technology.
According to current and former Google Stadia employees, some people still believe in the dream of playing games on their phones like Cyberpunk 2077.
However, one source told Business Insider that just approximately "20 percent of the concentration" at Stadia right now is on gaming.
Switching Google Stadia to a more commercial-focused product
Switching Stadia to a more commercial-focused product—one that is integrated into multiple experiences and demos for other companies—is most likely a good idea and a method to salvage all of the tech and resources invested in the service.
However, I would advise against purchasing any games on Stadia, as that Google service now appears to be more doomed than ever.
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