Google: the service that will be terminated – will compensate users too

The The Google announce it Stadia closesWhich launched in 2019, due to the video game service It didn’t have enough users.

“Although Stadia’s approach to consumer game streaming has been built on a strong technology foundation, it has not gained the user traction we expected,” Phil Harrison, Vice President and General Manager of Stadia, said in a blog post.

The idea behind it stadia is that users can stream games directly to devices, such as TVs or phones, and don’t need consoles like Sony Group Corp’s PlayStation. and Microsoft Corp to play games.

Stadia was introduced as “Netflix for games”.

Other technology companies have also invested in video games in recent years. Sony and Microsoft see cloud gaming as the future of game distribution. Microsoft is trying to buy video game company Activision Blizzard Inc. Facebook and Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Offered game broadcasts.

Mr. Harrison said that Google is dedicated to gaming And it’s looking at ways to use Stadia’s technology in other parts of the company, such as the Google Play Store and YouTube.

Stadia users will still be able to play Until January 18, 2023Mr. Harrison said. Users will receive refunds for purchasing devices Made through Google Store as well as for Stadia purchases.

Google and Alphabet have a long list of services that have closed, including its Google+ social network, RSS reader and online hot air balloon service, Loon.