Google Starting Studio to Make Games for Stadia
Google is aiming to make its Stadia online gaming service more appealing to the public. The move comes as Google is planning to make its free tier available to the public soon. The work will potentially increase the variety of games that Stadia will have available to its players. The work also comes as third-party game providers aren't necessarily flocking to Stadia at the moment.
About the Studio
While Google has been bringing out many games from third-party companies, there also exists a need to bring in exclusive content. A blog post from Google Stadia head Jade Raymond stated that Stadia is bringing up a new studio to support new games.
The new studio will operate out of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Playa Vista. Former Sony Santa Monica studio head Shannon Studstill will run the new Stadia studio. Sony Santa Monica is best known for creating the God of War game series.
The studio will work alongside another gaming studio that Google operates out of Montreal. But details on the things being produced in Montreal have been minimal at best.
Taking Action
The main point about creating games for Stadia is that Google is aiming to create games on its own to build its Stadia library. Stadia has not been bringing in many games, including indie productions, due to a lack of incentives. Stadia hasn't been offering as much money or as many promotional materials. Also, some indie studios and third parties aren't convinced that Stadia will be viable.
Coming At a Key Time
The new studio comes as Google Stadia has been struggling with some issues at the start. Stadia has experienced some missing features, and it had been bearing with problems surrounding games being available.
But Stadia is expected to become more visible in the future. Stadia is planning a free tier that will be available to all. It is unclear as to when the free tier will be open, but it would allow players to get on the service without having to spend anything for access every month. The only things people would spend money on are the controller and Chromecast device needed for access and the actual games people wish to play.
It currently costs money to access Stadia. It costs $9.99 to get on the service. The free tier will make Stadia more appealing and accessible, but it only supports 1080p screens and stereo sound. It costs $9.99 per month for access to 4K and 5.1 surround sound support.
What About Other Studio Games?
Google Stadia will still provide people with access to games from third-party studios. Among the games currently available include Borderlands 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and NBA 2K20.
But many of the most anticipated games from these parties have yet to be released. These include Cyberpunk 2077, whose release was delayed to September. Official release dates for coming Stadia games Baldur's Gate III, Gods and Monsters, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Destroy All Humans have not been released as of March. They are all expected to come out at some point this year.
