Google to end its consumer gaming service Stadia

Spectators look on during a Google keynote address that announced a new video gaming streaming service named Stadia at the Gaming Developers Conference in San Francisco.

After nearly three years of being launched, Reuters said on Thursday that it will end its consumer gaming service, Stadia, as it didn't draw enough interest from gamers.

Gaming companies are facing a slowdown in demand for video games from the Pandemic highs. The near-term prospects for Stadia looked dim as high inflation caused some consumers to reduce their spending on entertainment.

In a blog post, Phil Harrison, vice president and general manager of Stadia, said that while Stadia's approach to streaming games for consumers is built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn't gained the traction it expects from users.

The company said it would refund all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google StoreGoogle Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store.

Players will have access to their games library through January 18, and they will be able to play through January 18.

Last year, Google said that it would stop internal development of games for Stadia, making it entirely dependent on titles from other game developers and publishers. In 2019 reut.rs 3 dQtXCO Stadia was launched, along with an internal game development unit that was expected to make titles for the platform.