Google has claimed that its troubled cloud gaming service Google Stadia is still “alive and well” despite the closure of its first-party studio and multiple staff changes.
In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Stadia’s developer marketing lead Nate Ahearn assured that things are just fine at the platform, adding that the company has a new plan in place to grow the gaming service.
“We’re well on our way to over 100 new games launching on Stadia in 2021, and we’re continuing to make Stadia a great place to play games on devices you already own,” he said. “I’d tell any non-believers to take notice of how we’re continuing to put our words into action.”
Ahearn also noted that the company has partnered with third-party studios such as Capcom, EA, Square Enix and Ubisoft through the Stadia Makers program, although he did not reveal specific details behind the deals. “[We are] focused on delivering value for our partners and on behalf of our players,” he said.
On the Stadia Makers programme, Ahearn said that the closure of Stadia’s internal development studio has not changed the fundamental purpose of the initiative to make Stadia a platform for indie developers to launch new games.
“We’re not shifting pressure onto the independent studios we work with in Stadia Makers,” he said. “The whole point of the program is to support their addition of Stadia as a launch platform for their game, not add any pressure or make anything harder for them.”
Along with that news, a Google spokesperson also spoke about the manpower changes at Stadia. They confirmed to the publication that the Stadia product team is currently being led by Stadia co-founder Dov Zimring, saying that the Google veteran “will be leading the team toward our goals of creating the best possible platform for gamers and technology for our partners.”
The company also touched on the recent departures of six Stadia employees to Haven Studios, a Montreal-based studio co-founded by former Stadia Game Studios VP Jade Raymond. The spokesperson said that the company is “happy they were able to find new opportunities”.
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