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Google buys timed exclusivity for Stadia, 120 new games coming in 2020

Google buys timed exclusivity deals for its fledgling Stadia game streaming service

Google will use its cloud billions to secure timed exclusivity deals for its Stadia game streaming service. The company announced its plans in a recent blog post, confirming over 10 games will be temporarily exclusive to Stadia throughout 1H 2020. Neither the games nor their exclusivity windows were revealed.

"Looking at our upcoming lineup, we are tracking more than 120 games coming to Stadia in 2020, and are targeting more than ten games in the first half of this year alone that will be only available on Stadia when they launch. We're working with our partners to share more on those games soon."

This move is an obvious route for Google to help buffer Stadia subscribers. While no numbers have been disclosed, Stadia appears to have a muted and lukewarm reception. These new exclusives may help attract new users and pull gamers into the fold. How well this move actually works totally depends on the games themselves, which are likely to be smaller and more independent titles.

The biggest driver to adoption--or at least experimentation and a few errant purchases on the service--will be Stadia's free version that launches in 2020. Right now the game streaming service is only available to subscribers who pay $10 a month for Stadia Pro.

Google also confirmed that other Stadia features like 4K game streaming, wider Android smartphone streaming support, and wireless Stadia controller support are on the way:

Gamers can expect more features coming to Stadia in Q1 and beyond. A key benefit of our platform is that we can add these features without any updates or downloads, and we're starting to roll out the following over the next three months:

• Support for 4K gaming on the Web
• Add further Assistant functionality when playing on the Web
• Support additional Android Phones
• Wireless gameplay on the Web through the Stadia controller

Google buys timed exclusivity for Stadia, 120 new games coming in 2020

Google buys timed exclusivity deals for its fledgling Stadia game streaming service.

www.tweaktown.com

RIP to those games.

 

[Oddspeak]

Something about the phrase "Stadia exclusive" gives me acid reflux.

 

[ScarletSpider]

I will never own a Google Stadia.

 

[Shmunter]

“Timed”, they shall see the light yet

 

[GHG]

I will never own a Google Stadia.

I didn't think it even was possible to own one? Even the games you purchase are locked behind a monthly subscription.

 

[MoreJRPG]

With Xcloud being a thing this service seems redundant.

 

[GymWolf]

Probably indie games.

I don't believe for a second that bigger devs are gonna send their games to die for the first months on stadia.

 

[Bandi]

Probably indie games.

I don't believe for a second that bigger devs are gonna send their games to die for the first months on stadia.

die? if google pays them the lost sales, why would they care?

 

[GymWolf]

die? if google pays them the lost sales, why would they care?

So you think that ubisoft or activision are gonna put their next big games in esclusive on stadia for the first 3-6-12 months?!

Yeah i don't believe this.

Someone do this thing with epic store, but epic store is far more succesufull than stadia.

They are gonna be indie, AA games or AAA games that nobody gives a fuck, we just have to wait and see how wrong am i.

 

[GHG]

die? if google pays them the lost sales, why would they care?

Developers make games for them to be played, not just to make money.

The damage this would do to a well-known studio's reputation is not worth the money they would receive, and would be felt long after the exclusivity deal passes.

 

[Wolfgang Jr]

Buys timed exclusivity for what?

 

[rofif]

Buying exclusivity is terrible if they did not produced those games. it's cheap

 

[Woo-Fu]

Going to have to be some giant moneyhats to get anybody besides struggling indies.

 

[Kazza]

So you think that ubisoft or activision are gonna put their next big games in esclusive on stadia for the first 3-6-12 months?!

If google pays them enough, sure. They've got pretty deep pockets after all.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

(credit to brap )

 

[Bryank75]

 

[Fbh]

Since I doubt any major release (both AAA and indie) is suddenly going to cancel their already announced Ps4/Xb1/Switch/PC version in order to become a Stadia exclusive....I'm guessing these 10 games are all going to be new announcements. Which probably means it's all going to be small indie tier stuff that no one will mind waiting for until they come to other platforms.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I didn't think it even was possible to own one? Even the games you purchase are locked behind a monthly subscription.

Eventually they have a free tier where the games you buy would be playable for "free."

It's just not out yet; it almost HAS TO be available to existing people though in a few weeks.. since their Pro subs will expire.

Or Google is going to give all current users an extension, which is also likely.

 

[johntown]

No not this crap again! Why do all the crap and garbage stores on PC want to do this? Make your stores/services better! Moneyhatting games will just piss off the community you are trying to entice.

 

[Derktron]

I didn't think it even was possible to own one? Even the games you purchase are locked behind a monthly subscription.

Then once Google gets rid of it, you lose everything.

 

[mejin]

Few games, but better than nothing.

 

[Arkam]

Hope they are good ones, cuz Stadia really needs a reason for people to pay attention.

 

[dorkimoe]

The way games work at launch these days, they are buying a beta test.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I will not be playing Stadia exclusives under any circumstance. If developers are willing to be moneyhatted by Stadia they are telling me they don't want my business.

Stadia would be much better if Google partnered with Steam and allowed you to stream games you owned, which would be fine if you're stuck somewhere and wanted to kill some time. Of course, that depends on the internet connection being stable....

 

[MetalRain]

Rather than having exclusive games Stadia should become (cheaper) alternative to purchasing games separately for consoles or PC.

 

[kurisu_1974]

Will they ever develop a title that takes advantage of the architecture so that it won't even run on other systems... Like a giant scaling living city mmorpg without instances running seamless on.... clouds I guess?

TBH that was what I was expecting Stadia to be, not just another GeForce Now which I already have for free and never use.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

120 games? So that's 12 games for each Stadia user?

 

[Leprech]

I cant imagine accepting timed exclusive deal on a dead platform... unless they basically pay for the entire development and marketing lol

 

[wipeout364]

Not really supporting the practice but I think it works. Exclusive games are differentiators in a world of retail that lacks it. If I ran google I would do what epic does but on a bigger scale since they have unlimited cash. I doubt epic game store would be where it is without free games and exclusives.

I Wouldn’t bother with stadia at the moment but given the right exclusives (like Epic ) I would consider it.

 

[manfestival]

So basically Stadia is going to end up with the beta. The devs will use the money and time to complete the game and ship them out to the rest of us. Thank you Stadia for being the sacrificial goat.

 

[LazyParrot]

I doubt epic game store would be where it is without free games and exclusives.

Where is it at, though? They lost money on 3rd party titles and the only thing keeping them afloat is Fortnite.

 

[Ellery]

I would pay 10$ a month so Stadia would just vanish from the face of the earth. I have enough subscriptions running, but I wouldn't mind a negative-subscription in my portfolio
For 20 and 30$ I would pay to remove mobile games and microtransactions from the internet aswell

 

[Pejo]

Timed exclusives really worked great to bolster Epic Games Store's public perception, why wouldn't it do the same for Stadia.

Fucking idiots.

 

[Väinömäinen]

There’s no games, that I wouldn’t rather wait to play properly, than wait actions happen on screen while playing them.

 

[VertigoOA]

Xcloud will work because it’s supplementary to a real gaming experience on Xbox or Pc and only requires one purchase.

Stadia being incompatible with PC releases is its death sentence.

 

[The Pleasure]

(credit to brap )

Is Google wearing panties while chilling on the couch? Stunning and brave.

 

[MacReady13]

I don't care what exclusives they get, lag plus not truly owning your games means this will NEVER take off for me.

 

[Afro Republican]

Didn't Kain already make this thread? Also something about 150 games or something?

 

[CatLady]

Hope they are good ones, cuz Stadia really needs a reason for people to pay attention.

I hope they get shit games because there is NOTHING that would ever entice me to use Stadia or actually anything from Google period.

 

[Jooxed]

Didn't Kain already make this thread? Also something about 150 games or something?

Google Promises OVER 120 STADIA GAMES in the year 2020 this year. OVER 10 STADIA EXCLUSIVES first half of this year.

You guys keep tagging me with alerts so I can't get through all your hate spam at this time, but I leave you with this. Google is 100% omitted to supporting Stadia with over 120 games in software for this year. More than 10 will be Stadia only...

www.neogaf.com

 

[Afro Republican]

120 games all running with input lag.

 

[PleaseWaitStation4]

Google: "Look, we made one of those console things, now buy it!".

 

[Xaero Gravity]

I really hope Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't end up a full Stadia exclusive, even if it's just a timed one.

 

[V4skunk]

If i owned my own company and Google came to me wanting an exclusive deal, i'd fucking rip the cunts off and ask for ridiculous amounts of millions of £.

 

[synchronicity]

I know timed exclusivity can make a difference for a company trying to gain market share, but for me personally, it's utterly meaningless.

My backlog is never-ending, and I've never had any problem exercising patience. I'm likely an outlier, but I always get a bit of a chuckle when someone claims "timed exclusive". I'm like...good for you, lol. So much great stuff to play (or replay). No need to chase it.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Probably indie games.

I don't believe for a second that bigger devs are gonna send their games to die for the first months on stadia.

it is a suicide for developers to launch exclusivities, and if we talk about Stadia it is to send them to failure, literally.

Even if it's exclusive to Nintendo or Playstation ... even Xbox could survive.

The safest thing is that at the same time they will be multiplatform

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I really hope Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't end up a full Stadia exclusive, even if it's just a timed one.

i doubt it... more if we are talking a Awesome saga... i just waste of effort and money only send it for Stadia

 

[Xaero Gravity]

i doubt it... more if we are talking a Awesome saga... i just waste of effort and money only send it for Stadia

It's already launching on Stadia, and with Google in desperate need of exclusives it's an easy one to grab since money talks.

 

[DerFuggler]

Imagine being an indie developer and you sign a timed exclusivity deal for your game on Stadia. Now imagine it gets panned due to input lag and connectivity issues. Fast forward several months: your game launches multi-platform but no one's buying it because of the poor metacritic reviews from the Stadia platform.

Good luck to the devs signing these deals.

 

[VertigoOA]

If it’s indie games no one is going to give a shit anyway. Major third parties aren’t dumb enough to put it on a broken platform and make no money aside from whatever deal they made.