Google Stadia, the cloud-based gaming platform that promised to revolutionize the gaming landscape, has officially shut down. But contrary to what was previously announced, it wasn’t at 11:59 p.m. PT as expected—Google managed to keep Orcs Must Die 3 running until 12:22 a.m. PT and games were taken down one by one instead of all at once. Let’s take a look at why this happened and what it means for gamers going forward.
The reason for the unexpected shutdown can be traced back to the rocky launch of Stadia in 2019. Many gamers were disappointed with the lack of features such as 4K resolution, game streaming issues, and high latency that plagued Stadia’s debut. Despite Google’s efforts to improve its service over time, some gamers had already made up their minds about Stadia before they ever gave it a chance, leading to its eventual demise in 2021 after only two years in operation.
While the shutdown of Stadia may come as a disappointment to those who enjoyed playing on the platform, it doesn’t mean that gamers have been left without an alternative cloud gaming solution. Other services such as Amazon Luna and Apple Arcade are quickly emerging as viable alternatives for those who still want to experience cloud gaming without having to invest in expensive hardware or consoles.
Luna is Amazon’s foray into cloud gaming and offers access to a library of PC games at 1080p/60fps on supported devices such as Fire TV, PC, Mac, and iOS devices (Android coming soon). Meanwhile, Apple Arcade is available on iOS and macOS devices with more than 100 exclusive games that you won’t find anywhere else. Both services offer free trials so you can test them out before deciding whether or not they are right for you.
It was surprising but not shocking when Google decided to pull the plug on its ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful project—Stadia—just two years after its launch in 2019. While many gamers are now left without a cloud-based gaming solution, there are other options such as Amazon Luna and Apple Arcade that could provide an enjoyable alternative experience without breaking your wallet open either. Whether these services will be able to fill the void left by Stadia remains to be seen but it will certainly be interesting watching them compete against each other in the coming months and years ahead!
