That is all on me. Or basically better stated, there were other factors in place. First there was the Amazon Luna, the setting was open to them, but like Google, Amazon left billions on the floor. So I moved on, hoping that Kingdom Holding would buy the Google Stadia to further their own capital and throughput to their community. But that didn’t happen either. To see this setting we need to take a step back and look why the Google Stadia ‘failed’. The published ‘works’ give us:
Google Stadia failed due to a combination of a flawed business model, insufficient exclusive games, and poor marketing. Gamers were hesitant to purchase games on a new platform with an uncertain future, especially when compared to established alternatives like Xbox Game Pass. The inconsistent technical performance and the closure of Google’s own game development studios further eroded user confidence, leading to the platform’s shutdown in January 2023.
In addition we are given:
1. Business Model & Pricing:
Confusing Model: Stadia was both a subscription service and a game store, which confused potential users about what they were getting and how to pay. This could be easily fixed. In my ‘oversimplified model’ I set the idea to an annual setting of $90 dollars, or $9.99 a month, first two months free to counter the purchase of the Stadia. In this setting I am foreseeing an initial annual revenue of $2-$3 billion, after that (during phase 1) the revenue would top up to about $6 billion.
High Purchase Prices: Unlike competitors, Stadia required users to purchase games outright, which was a hard sell for a platform that didn’t have a console. This item falls away at present.
2. Lack of Exclusive Content:
Few “Killer” Games: Stadia failed to attract users with a strong lineup of exclusive, must-have games that would justify switching from competing platforms. The stadia will not be competing, it goes in another direction. It still have games, but is part of a tripod of services, as such it has another direction.
3. Marketing & User Adoption:
Poor Marketing: Many people, even within Google, were unaware of Stadia. The marketing efforts were misdirected and did not resonate with potential users. This is easily fixed, the setup allows for a population of 50,000,000 users and there is a business part that will show to be transparent.
Unclear Target Audience: The platform’s target audience was not well-defined, leading to confusion about its purpose and value proposition. I solved that from basically day one.
4. Technical Issues:
Connection & Latency Problems: While cloud gaming is dependent on internet speeds, some users experienced technical issues, including frustrating delays and sudden crashes, even with good connections. This might be a problem, But if Amazon could fix it, so could Google, were the right settings set in motion? Also, the premise of the Stadia changes, as such some games will not have latencies, only games like Epic Games depend on this.
5. Google’s Priorities & Image:
Lack of Long-Term Commitment: Google’s history of abandoning projects further damaged trust in Stadia, especially after its closure was announced. Optionally no longer a problem.
Unrealistic Expectations: Google reportedly had very high expectations for Stadia from the outset, expecting a scale similar to the Play Store, which may have been unrealistic for the nascent cloud gaming market. This is on Google, the setting changes and as such so does the expectation of things. I expected up to $6,000,000,000 in annual revenue in phase one, after that it could go up to $15,000,000,000 annually, that is a lot better that Microsoft EVER achieved.
Some call me stupid, some call me a dreamer (I might be the latter) but as I see all the tech firms rely on their AI, all whilst Huawei is about to make a move with cheaper options. They are likely to get billions of consumers (1.4 billion in China alone) and as Huawei is pushing through several ides that make Apple and others nervous, they could end up with a massive chunk of it. In the meantime I looked elsewhere and I see the stadia hiding for its own population and there is a chance that China might become one of them, although partnership with Tencent is much more likely. And my idea opens up the Ubisoft schooling setting (I wrote about it a few times) on the stadia as well.
A setting of $6,000,000,000 is there for Google to activate, they already have the hardware and one of the tripod elements in place. One required Unreal Engine 5 (I don’t know if the stadia can cater to that app need) but that is the setting several left on the floor (and I am not in favor of Microsoft picking up this idea).
So am I a dreamer or are the Tech giants running like Greyhounds after the AI bunny in a spinning retrace? I leave it up to you to decide. But as I see it Google overlooked a massive optional population and now as the game is about to change, Tencent might actually become the winner of that tally. Have a great day and enjoy the coffee this morning.
Lawrence van Rijn - Law Lord to be 