The Google Stadia has already lost footing with some of its biggest supporters. Stadia is Google’s first big foray into the video gaming market, a service that could potentially begin a new era of cloud-based gaming. However, since its initial announcement, and as more details about Stadia emerged, gamers and industry professionals began to raise concerns.
Although many initially believed Stadia would be a Netflix for games, they later learned that a Stadia subscription didn’t guarantee access to games. Paid subscribers only get roughly one free game per month, although there is an option to buy other games at full price. There were also concerns about the amount of data Stadia games would burn through for users not using Wi-Fi. There was still a lot of interest in Stadia, with the Founder’s Edition selling out before launch. Google was trying to shake up the video game industry, and that, in and of itself, was exciting.
However, many of those who supported Stadia early on are now frustrated with it. Before launch, Google continued to push pre-orders by promoting the ability of users to be able to obtain display names on a “first come first served” basis. Those who waited until the release date to purchase Stadia got access to the codes that allowed them to register their display names immediately, while those who pre-ordered the Founder’s Edition were met with delays. Many of those who pre-ordered Stadia did not receive their emails with codes until after Google fixed the problem. By that time, many display names were already taken. Rightfully so, those who took a chance on pre-ordering Stadia felt betrayed and are now demanding refunds on Reddit.
Google Stadia also suffered from other issues, including low visual quality and problems with latency. Stadia also lacked some of its promised features, including wireless controller support, Steam Connect, Buddy Pass and Achievements. Although Stadia still has some fans, at least according to the r/Stadia thread on Reddit, there are still plenty of users complaining about not getting what they purchased.
With so many already on the fence about Stadia, Google needed to please its supporters at launch. Instead, many of Stadia’s most stalwart supporters are now upset, for good reason. Google also seems to have dropped the ball by not having a beta period, which the company could have easily opened up to Founder’s Edition members, guaranteeing their shot at display names first. Instead, Google seems to have botched the launch of Stadia, which will ultimately prevent people from wanting to sign up.
Next: Google Stadia Review - Why Now?
Source: Reddit