In February 2021, Google dropped a bomb that no one expected: it was closing Stadia Games and Entertainment, its first-party studio tasked with developing games for its streaming service, Stadia. The news seemingly came out of nowhere. Or did it?
In the above video, Lucy chronicles the development of Google’s oft-maligned streaming service, from the initial promise of incredible cloud-based development tools and social integration to hiring key development talent like Jade Raymond, Shannon Studstill, and Alex Hutchinson, to its rocky launch, and the eventual closure of its first-party studio.
She also explores if Stadia has a future as a streaming platform akin to Nvidia’s GeForce Now, or Sony’s PlayStation Now. The future of Stadia is very much up in the air, but GameSpot will always have the latest. Subscribe at youtube.com/gamespot to keep up to date.