The Quarry was intended as a Google Stadia exclusive
According to a report from Axios, which claims to have spoken to a key figure in the project, The Quarry was actually supposed to be a Google Stadia exclusive. According to US colleagues, Supermassive Games had started development of the game with Google's cloud gaming in mind and the game should have been a sort of Trojan horse for users, able to guide players and push them to subscribe to the service.Google Stadia started limping, but today it's a valid alternative when it comes to Cloud Gaming. Already in 2020 there was a rapprochement between Google Stadia and Supermassive Games. At the time, both companies had entered into a partnership for the production of an exclusive game, but interrupted any kind of communication about it a few months later. At this point it is logical to think that the title in development was precisely The Quarry or at least something very similar to what then debuted in June 2022 for PC and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Google Stadia was launched in 2019 and was supposed to revolutionize the way people play. Phil Harrison (formerly PlayStation) and Jade Raymond were in charge of leading the project. The project has been downsized and Google has decided to dismantle the division dedicated to creating exclusive experiences for Stadia. The technology continues to host third-party games, but it is currently unclear whether the project will continue in the near future or be stopped altogether. Continue to follow geekinco for all the news and announcements in the pipeline from the world of video games.
The Quarry reportedly started life as 'signature' Stadia title before Google downsized its gaming operation
As did sci-fi comedy High On Life.
Earlier this month, developer Supermassive released its sumputous slasher horror The Quarry on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in collaboration with publisher 2K Games - but a new report has claimed the game was originally in development as a 'signature' title for Stadia, before Google made the decision to downsize its gaming operation and send the project elsewhere.
Stadia, of course, launched to much fanfare in 2019, and part of Google's promise to early adopters was that the service would bring its own console-like exclusives from both first- and third-parties. To that end, Google established its own internal game development studio and signed deals with external developers, including Supermassive, as announced in 2020.
Those plans, however, changed dramatically just 14 months after Stadia's high-profile arrival, with Google announcing a major rethink of its cloud streaming strategy following a less-than-stellar launch, which included the cancellation of all internal game development as it began prioritising selling its tech to third-parties.
The Quarry - Official Gameplay Overview Trailer.According to a new report from Axios, two external games in development for Stadia that were affected by Google's strategic U-turn were Supermassive's The Quarry and Squanch Games' upcoming sci-fi comedy shooter High On Life, both of which were originally envisaged as 'signature' titles for Stadia, intended to draw players to the beleaguered service.
Requests for comment by Axios didn't shed much additional light on the journey both titles have taken since their severance from Stadia, but, if nothing else, it's an intriguing glimpse into Google's original ambitions for the service, giving some indication of what might have been if Stadia hadn't so dramatically fumbled its launch.