Ever since Google unveiled its Stadia game streaming service at GDC earlier this year, we’ve been slurping down a steady trickle of information explaining how the platform will work, how much it’ll cost, and who’ll be supporting it.
Still, there are plenty of questions left unanswered, including what will happen to purchased games and player saves if a publisher suddenly decides to pull support for the streaming platform.
Given there’s no way for players to download the games they buy, would that mean they’d be left with a rather expensive gap in their collection? According to Stadia chief Phil Harrison, the simple answer is ‘no.’
Speaking to GamesRadar during a recent roundtable, Harrison explained that Stadia users will always be able to access games they’ve purchased, even if a publisher removes the title days, months, or years down the line.
“Yes, you will still be able to access the game,” he explained, adding that save data would also unaffected. “Now, there may be — as we’ve seen in the past — there may be times where a developer or publisher no longer has the rights to sell to new players. That would mean that the game will not be available to new players, but it will continue to be available for existing players.”
It’s a positive answer to a question that might seem fairly asinine, but ensuring users will be given indefinite access to games they’ve spent hard earned cash on will be critically important for streaming-only services like Stadia if they’re to earn the trust of consumers.