Google Stadia’s journey from announcement to release has been a controversial one. From the announcement that preorders were unlikely to arrive on launch day, to the meagre 12 titles that were listed for launch, among other various odd restrictions, the new ‘console’ by Google has faced many setbacks. With Stadia finally out to the public, the data has begun being collated, and according to one industry insider, Stadia’s performance in the market is being considered “a monumental flop”.

Jason Schreier, News editor at Kotaku and industry insider, revealed this fact, saying: “Google Stadia is out today, and it already looks like a monumental flop. (I heard from one person involved that preorders were below expectations.) Question is, will they eventually stop trying to sell games and switch to an all-you-can-eat subscription model? Or just let it die?”.

The news that preorders were below expectations is interesting, especially in the wake of the shortages in stock that Google claimed to have regarding Stadia. While Stadia Base doesn’t release until next year, it seems that Google had set higher expectations for Stadia Pro’s launch performance. The reason for its “monumental” failure could be in part due to all of the previously mentioned controversies.

Furthermore, Google is known for shutting down projects that fail to meet expectations, unwilling to wait to see its long term performance. This sentiment is acknowledged by Schreier, who claims that in order to survive, Google Stadia must switch to a subscription-based model.

With the news of Stadia’s failure, Google certainly needs to do something to entice potential customers to pay £119 for Stadia’s Premiere Edition. The company has already expanded its launch line-up from 12 to 22 titles, and has given two free games to Pro subscribers, instead of the previously announced singular title.

It appears that wasn’t enough to change people’s views however, if Schreier’s comments are anything to go by. It’ll be interesting to see what moves Google makes between now and the release of Stadia Base in 2020, in order to earn back the trust of consumers.

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KitGuru says: Are you surprised to hear of Google Stadia’s failure? What do you think Google needs to do to improve the service? Will you ever consider buying Google Stadia? Let us know down below.

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