Last week, Google confirmed that it would be ceasing all first-party development for its Google Stadia service, but the staff was shocked. Just a week prior to that, Stadia VP Phil Harrison had made everything sound like it was sunshine and rainbows in an email just before blindsiding them with news that they'd be shutting down.
Google Stadia has had a bumpy road ever since launching in November 2019. It promised the ability to stream AAA games using the power of the cloud without needing a console or powerful PC. It did deliver on that, somewhat, but it wasn't received well due to high input lag, lack of games, and generally low interest from the public. It was supposed to be a big deal, eventually resulting in high-quality first-party games that could be played anywhere, but that's not going to happen anymore.
In the days prior to the official announcement of Google ceasing first-party game development, Harrison praised the team. “[Stadia Games and Entertainment] has made great progress building a diverse and talented team and establishing a strong lineup of Stadia exclusive games,” read an email from Harrison prior to the bad news, according to a report from Kotaku. “We will confirm the SG&E investment envelope shortly, which will, in turn, inform the SG&E strategy and 2021 [objectives and key results].”
Harrison reportedly revealed in a Q&A with the laid-off staff that the choice was made after Microsoft started buying up lots of studios, including ZeniMax/Bethesda. In that same Q&A with Harrison, many allegedly asked why he would send that email, wondering how sudden of a decision this was. Harrison responded saying that they knew. “I think people really just wanted the truth of what happened,” said a source speaking to Kotaku. “They just want an explanation from leadership. If you started this studio and hired a hundred or so of these people, no one starts that just for it to go away in a year or so, right? You can’t make a game in that amount of time...We had multi-year reassurance, and now we don’t.” As of right now, Google is trying to find a place to put some of its now jobless staff members but is having troubles doing so.
It's a messy situation but also an odd choice for a number of reasons. There wasn't really any reason for Harrison to fill the staff with pride, only to immediately deflate the whole team. It also seems odd for Google to want to tap out of making original games just because Microsoft has bought studios like Bethesda. It doesn't seem like there were any deals between Google and Bethesda that the tech giant was betting on. The downfall of Stadia has been confusing and disappointing for a lot of reasons, but one can only imagine how stressful this situation has been for the employees.
Source: Kotaku