GOOGLE has announced that its gaming streaming service Stadia is shutting down three years after launch, and users are able to get all their money back.
Any money you have put into Google Stadia, including buying games, add-ons, and even the controller itself, you’ll be able to reclaim.
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However, it doesn’t appear that subscriptions are included in the refund policy.
This means anyone who got to experience the service, including those using it to purchase this month’s FIFA 23, has got to do so completely free.
Stadia launched in 2019 claiming to be the Netflix for games.
It allowed users to stream games to their TV, PC, or mobile without a console, offering an apparently cheaper alternative to modern gaming.
However, as users would not be able to resell games, and streaming requires a strong internet connection to play, the service was less successful than Google hoped.
In a blog post, Phil Harrison, vice president of Stadia said: “Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation.
“It hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service.”
While the shutting down of an unsuccessful service is normal for companies, players were shocked by Google’s decision to refund players.
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Everyone who purchased a Stadia game or controller via the Google or Stadia stores will have their purchases automatically refunded.
The service will shut down on January 18, 2023, with refunds to be completed around this time.
This means that anyone who has games on the service can continue to play them for the next few months.
While the policy is consumer-friendly, a number of developers have been hit hard by the closure.
Teams that were working on unreleased games for Stadia were not made aware of the service’s closure beforehand.
This has left some developers unsure of what is now happening with these projects, or if they will still be sold on the service.
Some games, including PAW Patrol: Grand Prix, which were previously scheduled to launch on Stadia, have now had releases on the platform cancelled.
Developers were attracted to the platform as Google offered developers attractive contracts, including earnings for the time Stadia Pro subscribers spent playing their games.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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