Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Dismisses Possibility Of A Fortnite Stadia Release
In November 2019, the Google Stadia gaming platform was released, generating a mainly positive reception and huge hopes for the future of gaming. Stadia runs on cloud-based technology, effectively allowing its users to stream games directly from Google databases to their own laptops or mobile devices.
In order to stream games, a user has to purchase them, much like on the Play Store. Initially, the service used a subscription model, but in April of 2020, a free Stadia tier and paid Pro tier were created, allowing the platform to become more accessible. Pro Tier users are able to stream games in 4K quality and are given a library of free games over time. Stadia Tier users are able to stream in standard 1080p.
Click to enlargeThe hype generated by the Stadia's initial launch soon died down when users realised that there are not as many titles on the platform as there could be. Currently, only 105 different titles have been released or are in development for the Stadia. Fans speculate that a lack of big-name titles is making it difficult for the Stadia to find its footing.
Most of the Stadia's games are ports of older releases, and a lack of flagship titles makes it difficult for fans to see reason in investing in it. Many gamers believe that the Stadia can make up for the lack of original titles by releasing popular games, like Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, and Warzone, on its platform.
However, it isn't that easy. Many big game companies don't want to devote the time, money, and resources to porting their releases to Stadia. With such a small audience- it makes sense. If these games were released on the Stadia, it would give the fledgeling console exposure but would do little to help a big title grow its user base. Most Stadia users might already play these big-name games on other consoles or platforms.
Click to enlargeThis is why it was unsurprising that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney recently announced in a post on Twitter that there are no current plans to bring Fortnite to Stadia. Sweeney directly responded to the question "Why isn't Fortnite on Google Stadia," posed by a fan on Twitter.
He stated that the demand for the cloud-based platform just wasn't there and did not warrant the sheer number of resources and staff Epic Games would have to devote to optimising Fortnite to run seamlessly on the program. Fortnite is already running on six different platforms, each with their own respective teams. Adding a seventh team to the mix, especially for a console with such little fanfare would be a significant waste of resources.
Sweeney added that Unreal Engine runs on the Stadia hardware and Epic Games is more than happy to stand behind developers who wish to port their Unreal Engine games to Stadia. This has already been proven by the game Crayta, which saw a Stadia release on July 1, 2020.
Click to enlargeMany see Sweeney's answer as hypocritical, as Fortnite was released for Nvidia GeForce Now, a cloud-based gaming venture with a small audience, not unlike the Stadia. However, what few have taken into account is that Nvidia GeForce NOW is not running a specially-optimised port of the game on its servers; instead, it is running the PC version of the game. Stadia's Linux-based hardware and streaming demands would mean that Fortnite would have to be significantly optimised for all Stadia users to be able to run the game in high-quality.
Given Epic Games' rocky history with Google and the Android Play Store, the direction Epic Games has taken makes sense. In a July 24 CNBC interview, Tim Sweeney called out both Google and Apple in creating a monopoly on the mobile gaming industry. He cited that Google takes a 30% cut of all in-app purchases, leaving developers with only 70% of what they make. A lack of better options for small developers and companies to release their games forces them to have to accept the sub-par terms and conditions. This is why Epic Games tries to offer developers that launch on the Epic Games store a more significant cut than they would get on Steam or Google Play.
He also criticised Google's Play Store for its "user interface barriers and obstruction" that stifle competing app store ventures and mobile platforms. This created notable issues with launching the Epic Games Store on Android devices, as Epic Games did not want Google taking a 30% cut of the total purchases made there as well. This is why Fortnite is the only Epic Games venture available on the Play Store. The company does not want to go out of its way to give Google exposure when it comes of little benefit to Epic Games, especially given Google's spotty history with them.
Given the context, Sweeney's response to the Stadia platform is understandable. From a business standpoint, there just isn't enough of an audience for a big company like Epic Games, which is already doing well financially, to port a game to such a small console. Google would be the only party benefitting from Epic Games porting Fortnite to its console, as it would gain an audience and revenue, whereas Fortnite would not gain new players and with Google's 30% revenue cut, it would not be a profitable move.
Click to enlargeIt is no surprise that cloud-based gaming has taken off with users. From PlayStation Now to Microsoft xCloud to Nvidia GeForce NOW, there are many options for players to bring AAA titles directly to their PC or mobile devices. Stadia is just one amongst the mix, and for that reason, Epic Games does not wish to devote resources to optimise the already-ubiquitous Fortnite for it.
To devote such a massive amount of resources to a platform that received such a lukewarm reception would be a questionable business decision at best for Epic Games. Still, players shouldn't write out the possibility of a Stadia release just yet. As Sweeney mentioned in his post, it could happen, but only if the Stadia takes off, which is not guaranteed but still better than a flat no. Gamers will just have to wait and see if Fortnite has a future on the Stadia.
Images via Epic Games | Google Stadia