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Like All of Us, Take-Two is Disappointed With Google Stadia
Mega-publisher Take-Two Interactive isn’t exactly pleased with Google Stadia, as CEO Strauss Zelnick has recently voiced his disappointment with the platform at the moment. This criticism from the Grand Theft Auto and 2K Sports publisher is just the latest piece of bad word-of-mouth for Google's troubled gaming subscription service, which launched last November as a hopeful competitor to the likes of PlayStation and Xbox.
To say that Google Stadia has had a rough time in achieving that goal would be an understatement. Already getting off on the wrong foot with players after a disastrous Reddit AMA session a few days before its launch, the service found itself plagued by technical issues and missing features in its early days. Even worse, certain games like Darksiders Genesis have been noted to cost more on Stadia in comparison to other platforms, and morale among the service’s early subscribers is down overall as the platform struggles to repair its damaged reputation.
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick recently weighed in on Google Stadia’s problematic launch, as reported by GameSpot. He noted that Stadia suffered from a “slow” start in November and that the service failed to make good on what he calls “some overpromising on what the technology could deliver.” Furthermore, he notes that Google believed they could bank on customers who “who really had an interest in interactive entertainment, really wanted to pay for it, but just didn't want to have a console,” only for that to not be the case. That being said, Zelnick went on to express hope in the video game streaming market as a whole, stating that “anytime you broaden distribution you potentially broaden your audience.”
Despite its rough launch, not all of Stadia’s news has been bad. The service has recently landed a high-profile timed exclusive in Serious Sam 4, the latest installment in the cult classic first-person shooter franchise. In addition, high-profile titles like PUBG and Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order are set to arrive on Stadia in the near future, leading some to wonder if there is hope for the troubled platform after all.
Still, there is wisdom in Strauss Zelnick’s criticism of Google Stadia, especially in how Google promised more than their fledgling streaming service could ultimately deliver, at least at launch. On the other hand, he’s made it clear that Take-Two hasn’t given up on Stadia yet, a sentiment other industry names seem to share. With both the continued support of major publishers and Stadia’s recent offer of a number of free titles during the month of June, it’s possible that Google’s underdog streaming platform can shake past its disastrous beginnings and become a major contender in the video game industry, provided it deal with the issues plaguing it since those early days.
