I was expecting there to be some satisfaction at this news as I (and many others clearly from the comments) predicted this would happen. But honestly it just feels kind of sad at this point. Google used to be, at least from an outside perspective, one of the most innovative and forward thinking companies, constantly releasing new and interesting products. Not everything was good, of course, but I was always eager to give things a try.
Now Google is a paint-by-ads corporate behemoth. I've been burnt so many times that I'm now skeptical of every new thing they release instead of excited. I hate feeling that way, especially because Stadia itself is so technically impressive, but how else can I feel?
I was done feeling sad many years ago. It has been absolutely ages since there was anything interesting from them. I can’t even recall the last product that seemed like a real innovation. Possibly the first chromecast in 2013? That’s 10 years without a hit. At this point they are covered in cobwebs.
Alright, I admit it was not incredibly ground breaking. Reason it impressed was that it was a very small, cheap and simple UI device that showed how to execute an IOT device well. It went on to be very popular and it was obvious from the start that it would be successful. And as far as I understand it was developed internally, not acquired like basically every other google product from the past 20 years.
Google maps was quite impressive, but it was also cobbled together from several acquisitions. In fact, Google Earth Desktop is still basically the same software they bought from Keyhole in 2004.
> Google used to be, at least from an outside perspective, one of the most innovative and forward thinking companies, constantly releasing new and interesting products.
Honestly, I think the change from a SWE CEO (Schmidt -- and less so Larry) to a PM CEO, Sundar, is probably the main reason.
I get why, though. At the time of Sundar's rise, it was clear that Apple was way better at making "products". (Now they're just a lot better :)
Now Google is a paint-by-ads corporate behemoth. I've been burnt so many times that I'm now skeptical of every new thing they release instead of excited. I hate feeling that way, especially because Stadia itself is so technically impressive, but how else can I feel?