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DanFromGoogle
Community Manager
Community Manager

What today’s message about Stadia means for players

Stadia players, you may already have seen the message shared on Google’s main blog. This is a short recap of the most important information for players from the main post:    

 

  • You will continue to have access to your games library through January 18, 2023 so you can complete final play sessions and move your progress to alternate platforms where possible.

  • Commerce functionality (the ability to buy games, new subscriptions, add-ons or in-game purchases) on Stadia has now been disabled.

  • Google will offer a full refund of all Stadia hardware purchases (Stadia Controller, Stadia Founder’s Edition, Stadia Premiere Edition, or Play and Watch with Google TV Package) made in the Google Store and all purchases of games and in-game transactions made in the Stadia Store. 

  • The refund process will take us some time to complete, and we expect to have the majority of refunds completed by the middle of January 2023. Please allow us until this time before contacting our support team regarding the status of your refund(s).

  • Stadia Pro subscription payments will not be eligible for refund, but if you are an active subscriber, you will continue to have access to your library without charge during the shut-down period.

 

As we begin the work of processing refunds to customers, Stadia customer service agents will not be able to provide more information to you at this time. For information and updates, please review the information on our Help Center, which will include new information as it becomes available. We’ll also contact players directly via email shortly with more information.

 

We want to thank you for taking this journey with us: in particular, the Founders and fans who have been with us from the beginning. The Stadia team poured the same passion for games into our work building and supporting Stadia as you have shown us each day in your play. 

4 Kudos
476 Replies
mfz
Community Member

...and yes, I plan to follow your advice and vote with my wallet.  My first step will be to return Google products I still can return, for example WiFi mesh system (a $400 value) Costco will be happy to take back...  

0 Kudos
mfz
Community Member

I just received another badge from Stadia Community.  Soon enough I may become a Platinum Stadia Guide.  How much they pay? :slightly_smiling_face:

0 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@mfz number of badges has nothing to do with Stadia Guide status. Stadia Guides are not employed by Google and we don't get paid.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
1 Kudo
mfz
Community Member

@Ivan, that was a joke - I am sure you got it.

However, "Stadia Guides have a more direct line of communication to deliver feedback and raise issues with the Stadia Team".

Please use the line on my behalf.

Also let's hope that the following is still correct: "The Stadia Community Team carefully monitors activity on the forums"

Thanks

0 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@mfzGoogle is aware of feedback and they still monitor the community. That's all I can say.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
1 Kudo
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@mfz 

I admire your persistency. I really do. Please do keep in mind I'm not arguing just for the sake or arguing. What I've been saying is based on what I've learned so far, and what I feel make sense based on the current situation. It definitely is a possibility that you have a different way of thinking, and I respect that. You did bring some good ideas with your last reply. 

1. Google is aware that there's a huge demand to unlock bluetooth on the controller. It's unknown if/when it will happen.

2. We already discussed this at length. I don't think we'll have an agreement in this matter.

3. Definitely nice gesture, but again, I don't know if this will happen.

4. Same as no 3.

Maybe I'm just a realist. At this point I don't really have anything else to say regarding this subject. We can agree to disagree.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
1 Kudo
mfz
Community Member

Thanks @Ivan,

It seems we more agree than disagree :slightly_smiling_face:

0 Kudos
Kenpocop
Founder
Founder

There's lots of feeds out there right now but just hear me out...

I feel there are three MAIN reasons for the downfall of Google Stadia.

The first and BIGGEST reason was killing off Stadia Games and Entertainment. This reason alone sent the loudest message to fans, potential fans and developers alike. If Google put enough money to develop the platform, but no money into game development to showcase their BRAND NEW service what did they hope to accomplish? Instead, this screamed to developers that Google had zero faith in Stadia as a gaming platform, and was instead hoping third-party developers would blindly make games for them. Instead, development companies lost faith in them. I mean if Google doesn't have faith in Stadia, why should they?

My second reason hurts the most as I should've seen it coming but I was too naive to believe it. Google tried to sell off Stadia to other companies. I figured when Google was starting to announce white-labeling their service to other companies, they were just trying to earn extra money to salvage the brand. However, in hindsight, I have a better understanding of what they were REALLY trying to do. They wanted to sell off Stadia as a platform, or at BEST lease out their tech to development companies to create their own gaming infrastructure. But as we now know, no company decided to bite.

Now my third reason might be a bit of a stretch, but I feel needed (I'll even venture to say "required") recognizable IP. Microsoft when they released Xbox had a better opportunity to take the grassroots approach to system development. Why? Because the gaming industry was entering a new era. Companies were ditching cartridges (aside from Nintendo) in favor of CDs. So Microsoft was in a far better position to create a new gaming system than any other company at the time. While Google was trying to push game streaming as the future of gaming, I feel their efforts were a tad too soon and a tad underwhelming. For a company, not known for gaming, this was an uphill battle, something Google has had a history of avoiding.

So what should Google have done? Buy Atari. Whaaaaaaaaa?!?!? 🤯🤯:dizzy_face::dizzy:🤯

YES. Google should have bought Atari. They already had a history of hiding Atari video games as Easter eggs in their search service, so it would have been a natural fit. Plus they would have had the immediate benefit of a LEGENDARY, iconic IP. Plus, PLUS... Any games Atari already had in development would've showcased the platform and actually legitimized Google's efforts in a big way (and pre-dated Microsoft buying Bethesda). Plus, PLUS, PLUS... They wouldn't have had to pour endless amounts of money into creating a gaming company from scratch and developing brand new IP. Atari was already working on games (as demonstrated a couple of months ago). This in turn would have saved them money in the long run.

Maybe then this gut punch wouldn't hurt so bad.

0 Kudos
tech
Founder
Founder

The politics involved are fantastically complex.

Normal competitors teamed up as soon as the concept of Stadia was announced: A-list studios, distributors, lawmakers, and sellout developers all united against Stadia out of sheer desperation. They'd been beaten to the technological punch and their brick and mortar monopoly was already in serious jeopardy anyway.

Then came the attacks: stretegic title hoarding and contractual blockade of Stadia's cross platform access. It was flat out brutal. They even tried to flood the market almost overnight with a multitude of steaming streaming hot gaming garbage services, knowing full well they were half functional, at best. I kinda expect that was the point. Just to leave a sour taste in the mouth of anyone still on the fence regarding this newfangled technology.

1 Kudo
Samas
Silver Stadia Guide
Silver Stadia Guide

All potential contributing factors, quite possibly. Also pandemic. Also global economic factors. The list goes on.

0 Kudos
Tanthalis
Founder
Founder

So with stadia shutting down will Google unlock the controller so we can still use it. I don't mean wired. Unlocked wireless full control use. Like with PC games or steam/epic game stores.

8 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@Tanthalis Nobody knows yet. People have been asking about it all day, so I'm sure the Stadia team is aware it. Just don't expect anythijng soon after the news earlier today. If it's an easy fix, maybe they'll do it. At this point, don't expect too much for further development. All we can do is wait and see.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
4 Kudos
Blindtext
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

@Ivan wait & see is not the way it works! it’s important to draw the attention of huge companies on topics like this, to show them that their customers care! even they have roadmaps, there is always a chance that they can’t ignore the feedback, so let’s flood social media, hotlines and others channels with this request!

Tags (1)
3 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@Blindtext Behind these big companies, there are also employees that was only told about the product's shutdown 45 mins before the public news went out. This exactly what happened with the Stadia team btw. The day before they were still working on launching new UI, releasing new games, the next day everything doesn't matter anymore. They may have to start thinking about looking for other opportunities within the company, or outside. And now we expect them to work adding more features right away, before they're even able to digest everything?

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
Tags (1)
1 Kudo
mfz
Community Member

I think it took them more code to lock it... and the fix is just to remove that code... or open the code

0 Kudos
Deezle
Community Member

I really hope they pay attention here, given otherwise it's an absolute mountain of plastic waste. I'd be happy with it working natively on PC, wired.

3 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@Blindtext You'll be given full refund if you bought the controller from Google Store. Sure you may argue you're getting less thatn the original value after taking account inflation, but it's still something. Worse come to worse, if you really don't want to use cable to play games, bring the Stadia controller to your nearest recycling center, and use the refund money to purchase other bluetooth controller.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
1 Kudo
Blindtext
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

@Ivan all true but you missed the point: there are tons of units out in the wild, capable of a bluetooth standard configuration, integration is not a question of the technical possibility but a question of willing to implement it…

I payed 22 € for my set, a refund is nice gesture but I‘d prefer a solid piece of hardware (the controller) made by google that operates by common standards for that kind of device, when it original purpose is gone for good

cable doesn’t do the job well in most situations and putting a technical 100% functional piece of hardware to a recycling center is pretty insane in terms of environmentally responsibility. google created this issue by sticking to a proprietor solution (and not only because of a technological advantage) now they should clean this mess up (thousands and thousands unusable devices that otherwise work fine)… that should be their final effort in this lost cause… I think we should let ‚em know that is is important: we appreciate their effort, we love the hardware, we‘d like to keep using it… it makes sense in so many ways, not just because of a refund or a broken promise (stadia as a service)

1 Kudo
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@Blindtext read my other reply to you above. Consumers definitely can express their demand, but think about whether it's appropriate considering timing/situation.

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
0 Kudos
Tanthalis
Founder
Founder

And what about releasing the source code for the controller. Let the community add the missing bits to get the controller working over Bluetooth or WiFi. The devs wouldn't have to lift a finger to fix it. They could keep on sorting there next endeavor out and we could sort the controller functionality.

4 Kudos
Stratixman
Founder
Founder

Well it appears all the naysayers were 100% correct that Google couldn't be trusted not to abandon Stadia. Going to be hard to swallow any future Google offerings or promises after this. Am a founding member and bought into their committment by remaining with the service. I guess I got my $10 worth each month but that still doesn't serve as an excuse for them to walk away.

2 Kudos
Samas
Silver Stadia Guide
Silver Stadia Guide

Less of Google and more of me just getting out of gaming entirely after this. Just not worth it when a service that worked so well was doomed to fail; I'd rather find another hobby to be honest.

1 Kudo
octaviusaster
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Hello. 

 

I just received an email stating that Stadia is ending and that we will be receiving refunds for our purchases. This makes sense to me.

 

I am curious however. Does this include the hundreds of dollars I spent on in game items that I will now also lose access to when I lose my characters in Elder Scrolls Online??????

 

I assume the answer is I'm out of luck. But I am hoping otherwise. 

 

Can I port my Elder scrolls account to Windows??? 

1 Kudo
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

Hi @octaviusaster  they will refund everything other than Pro subscription. If you bought it through Stadia store, you will get refund.

Please take a look at the article below for more details

https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/12790109 

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
2 Kudos
octaviusaster
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Thanks Ivan.

 

I understand about all of this but I am really sad, even with a refund. 

 

I know they have their reasons. But stadia was the best!!! 

 

 

0 Kudos
velvetslash
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Very sad and mad, but we need a date of refund ASAP it's Google they could refund tonight if they really wanted to make it up to us. Ive spent thousands on games. I need a date of refund ASAP just saying. Oh well, I will miss stadia very much regardless especially for cyberpunk

0 Kudos
Ivan
Platinum Stadia Guide
Platinum Stadia Guide

@velvetslash From the FAQ

Q:  How/When will I get my refund?

A: We are working through this process now and will keep this article updated as we define the process for each of the countries and different situations. Our intent is to have the majority of refunds processed back to the original payment by January 18, 2023.  

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Stadia Guides are not employed by Google. Opinions are my own.
1 Kudo
ShotGunK3lly
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

What if the card used is no longer valid, as i have cards that have expired and one that i no longer bank with???

0 Kudos
Makoeyes
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

It's been stated that you will receive an email with instructions for choosing a new method to receive your refund if your original payment media is no longer useable.

 

1 Kudo
Makoeyes
Stadia Player
Stadia Player

Elder scrolls online is a cross platform title and as such you should be able to access the account from PC if you use the same login/password that you set up when accessing through stadia. I was able to play my PC created account through stadia so it should be accurate info.

0 Kudos