By most measurements, 2019 was not a very good start for Google Stadia. The streaming console had a number of avoidable errors out of the gate, likely making gamers already wary about the prospect of streaming even more so. Still, Stadia is far from out of the fight, and the console will have 10 timed exclusive titles in the first half of this year to entice those still on the fence. As of this writing, Google has not announced any definitive titles, but the company says that the console is on track to have 120 more games in total this year.
Those 10 games could certainly help Stadia’s perception problem. Right now, one of the biggest issues facing Stadia is the fact that users are playing games that have been available for quite some time on other platforms and, in some cases, Stadia’s versions are inferior. Tossing salt on the wound, players don’t actually own the games, which means they can’t sell off a title if it doesn’t meet their particular standards, or even trade it in at GameStop.
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Given Google’s pocketbook, it will be interesting to see exactly how big these timed exclusives might be, and which publishers are involved. Stadia currently has titles from Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Rockstar Games, to name but a few. Any of these publishers providing timed exclusives could be a major coup for the company. But, if the games are simply options from smaller developers, or if the quality isn’t there, these 10 titles will just be more games that other players will get to play on other platforms, eventually.
For Stadia, getting exclusive games is definitely a step in the right direction. At this time, the console just doesn’t have anything unique that will get gamers to try it out, and that’s a problem that Microsoft could very well face when the Xbox Series X releases next year. However, Microsoft is an established name in the video game industry, and Google has yet to truly prove themselves. It’s a good thing those games are scheduled to release over the next six months; with all the issues that have cropped up for the console since launch, this could be make or break time for Stadia.
How do you feel about Google Stadia? Have you tried the console yet? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
