Stadia died because no one trusts Google (techcrunch.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the shutdown of Google's game-streaming service Stadia, attributing its failure to a lack of trust in Google due to its history of killing products. The author argues that Stadia's technical implementation was sound, but its business model was flawed, and that Google's reputation for abandoning projects made it difficult for the service to gain traction. The article also mentions that Google's offer of refunds to Stadia users is a rare instance of the company doing the right thing. The shutdown of Stadia is seen as a validation of the distrust many people have in Google's ability to commit to its products.

Main themes

• Google's trust issues
• Stadia's business model
• Cloud gaming
• Google's product shutdowns
• Antitrust scrutiny
• Tech company reputation
• Consumer trust

What commenters say

• Google's shutdown of Stadia is a deliberate attempt to demonstrate its willingness to fail and avoid antitrust scrutiny.
• Stadia failed due to its poor business model and lack of a significant target audience, rather than a lack of trust in Google.
• The service's technical performance was acceptable, and its failure was due to other factors such as lack of exclusive games and poor marketing.
• Google's history of killing products has eroded trust in the company, making it difficult for its services to succeed.
• The shutdown of Stadia is not surprising, given Google's track record of abandoning projects, and is a validation of the distrust many people have in the company.
• Some people have had positive experiences with cloud gaming services like Geforce Now, which challenges the idea that Stadia's failure was due to technical issues.
• Google's decision to offer refunds to Stadia users is seen as a rare instance of the company doing the right thing, but it may not be enough to restore trust in the company.
• The article's criticism of Google is seen as opportunistic and overly negative, and that the company's profits demonstrate its success despite its flaws.