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Google is reportedly deprioritizing Stadia’s consumer platform to focus on securing white-label deals with companies including Peloton, AT&T, and others.
It was a year ago, almost to the date, that Google announced it was shuttering its first-party Stadia Games and Entertainment studios and abandoning plans for exclusive games. Afterward, Google shifted its strategy to focus on publishing Stadia games from outside developers before ever releasing a first-party title. Apparently, it’s now delegating most of its resources to another initiative entirely: licensing its tech to third-party partners across a range of industries.
Business Insider now reports that, since then, Google has moved the majority of its Stadia team to “proof-of-concept work” for what’s now being called Google Stream and “securing white-label deals.” One source at BI estimated that just 20% of Google’s Stadia focus is on the consumer side of the business.
The fruits of Google’s deal with Peloton surfaced last July when the latter unveiled its “gaming-inspired fitness” initiative reportedly powered by Stadia’s streaming tech. The first Peloton game supported by Google is called Lanebreak, and it entered closed beta last November.
Back in October, mobile telecoms provider AT&T confirmed to 9to5Google that it had reached a deal with Google to allow its customers to play Batman: Arkham Knight on their phones using Stadia’s streaming technology. With BI’s report in context, that seems to have been an early hint at Google’s ever-evolving direction for the fledgling Stadia platform.
For what to play on the go, check out our extensive guide to the best iPhone games available now.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked in – *shudders* – content management while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
