Why I “Shill” For Stadia… 

Yes. I said it. It’s about time I admitted it. I’m a Stadia “Shill.” A Stan. A die hard. Though, I’m not payed a cent by Google and it probably is not for the reasons you might think…

I have always enjoyed gaming. Ever since I was a kid playing Qbert and Pitfal on the Atari. Since then, I have owned many different consoles by many different companies. I’ve never been a die hard – often switching from one brand to another after each generation and even, at times, owning different platforms simultaneously. 

And now?

This is still the case. I pay monthly for Xbox Gamepass. And, sometimes I pick up a bargain or two in the Steam sales. If I had more time to play games (I haven’t got enough time to play the games I have now) then I would probably pick up a physical Xbox or PlayStation 5 for their exclusives. All that said, Stadia remains my go to gaming platform. 

It may not have every game that is hot right now. It may not get every release and every DLC. But, Stadia, for numerous reasons, remains my favorite way to play. 

With the potential negatives, how can I be such a die hard “shill” for Stadia? 

In all my years of gaming, fleeting between this platform and that as well as this company and the other, I have never seen so much unjustified negativity towards a company or platform.

Social media and so-called professional media outlets seem to be set on bringing Stadia down for … whatever reason. Reasons unknown to me that is. Despite the fact that Stadia is apparently dead, the haters just can’t keep it out of their minds. Stadia lives in their heads rent free! People spend more time talking negatively about Stadia than they spend time talking positively about the platform or product they actually do like. 

Over the last couple of years, I have seen and heard all kinds of commentary. Some of it I actually struggle to get my head around! 

Fact vs Fiction

I have seen Stadia game reviews that sing the praises of a game only to close it out by saying “It’s a shame it’s only on Stadia” when it’s an exclusive. Or even “Just wait until it’s available elsewhere before you play” for a timed exclusive. What kind of biased nonsense is that?  You would never see the same dribble in a God of War or Halo review. Yet we consistently do for Stadia… 

Look on Twitter for a publisher or developer announcing their game coming to Stadia and you will see numerous replies poking fun and laughing. “Why waste your time porting to a dead platform?” or “I’m sure both of the people who play stadia will be happy.” People forget all too easily that these accounts are actually run by people – real human beings sit and read these replies after pouring months or years of hard work into making things happen. There is a story behind the 240 characters you see on the screen. It angers me that people feel it is OK to belittle the people behind the account and minimize the great work that they are doing. 

The Rumor Mill

On top of this there is the he said she said mentality. I play on Stadia almost every day. When I try to engage in a civil conversation with somebody online who is ridiculing Stadia and its community, like it’s something to look down your nose at, I inevitably come up against somebody telling me Stadia doesn’t work. There’s too much latency, the picture quality is poor, games take a long time to load, it drops frames, and the list goes on. But it isn’t their own experience that they’re talking about. It is always someone else’s. “My cousin tried it and he said xcloud is better” or “I watched a video on YouTube that said blah blah.” Stadia Is F R E E! There are multiple ways to try the game FOR FREE. So don’t rely on the opinions of others, try it for yourself. 

As a society these days, the majority of people seem to read headlines and skip the article – subsequently coming to the wrong conclusion and leaving a lot of information on the table. This has resulted in people believing Stadia is closing down because they have seen a headline referring to the closure of SG&E. Or they believe that no new games have come to Stadia because of the lack of media coverage or a headline talking about a game being on Xbox that should have been a Stadia exclusive.

Ultimately, what it all comes down to is that people are misinformed, ignorant, and stuck in their ways.

So Why Do I “Shill” For Stadia?

I speak up for Stadia (and you can call that “shilling” if you want to) because I am a fan of the truth! I’m also a big fan of the platform and hope it’s around for as long as possible. Do I think it’s going anywhere anytime soon? No. Absolutely not. But I think it won’t last as long as it should when it’s existence is shrouded in unjust rumor and mindless attacks. Why would publishers and developers spend time and money porting a game to Stadia when doing so gets them attacked? Yes, I literally mean attacked! Look at the Steam crowd after the news of Saints Row coming to Stadia. 

I “shill” for Stadia to help (in a small way) level the playing field. If people are being told things about Stadia that they take as fact, then I want to counter it with some positivity. Why should all they hear be negative opinions? I will talk to anybody about Stadia. If I can correct some information, then great. If I can open someone’s mind a little bit, then great. I’m not trying to convert anyone or force them on to Stadia. As long as they realize there is another side to the coin, job done.

So maybe I tweet too often about Stadia and bring it into conversation a little unnaturally. But my reasons, pure and simply, in a sentence, is to try and add balance. I genuinely believe that Stadia is the best platform out there, yes. But, I just want people to make up their own minds with facts and opinions based on evidence and experience. Not hearsay. Not clickbait. Not misinformation. Not rumors.