The Californian giant changes its strategy and dispenses with its development studies in favor of external publishers to achieve a “sustainable business”.
Major change in development strategy for Google Stadia, Google’s streaming video game platform. So much so, that the Californian giant has decided to close its two own development studios (located in Los Angeles and Montreal) in order to bet decisively on external studios and publishers in favor of a “sustainable business”. This is collected by the Kotaku medium, also informing that Jade Raymond, one of those responsible for the beginnings of the Assassin’s Creed saga and now a key name in Stadia’s strategy, has left the company, in a new movement that affects about 150 developers and creative.
Google’s own studios close their doors
Thus, the strategy of creating its own games through its own studios is put aside in Stadia, shelving an infrastructure that was just two years old and that, according to Phil Harrison, has not finished working, all for that Stadia manages to establish itself in the market and become a sustainable business platform over time.
However, the until now vice president of Google Stadia, Jade Raymond, leaves her position, as well as a total of 150 employees who are left without their jobs, although Harrison ensures that most will be relocated to new positions. Phil Harrison himself is now staying as chief operating officer with the aim of managing new deals with the major publishers in the industry.
Be that as it may, Stadia will continue to function as before, with its catalog and services, in addition to its premium Stadia Pro subscription, although now with news at the title level only by third parties, a situation that opens new business opportunities to a market increasingly present as that of video games in the cloud and streaming.
