Known for its innovative products and services, Google has equally gained notoriety for its decisions to discontinue abruptly several promising projects, creating a history of abandoned efforts and disillusioned users. While the company’s commitment to experimentation and innovation has yielded considerable successes, it has also marked the premature end of intriguing concepts that failed to realize their full potential. In this article, we examine 5 of these notable products and services that Google has rendered obsolete, shedding light on the reasons behind their death.
Stadia
Google Stadia was a cloud-based gaming platform that aimed to revolutionize the way people play video games. It allowed users to stream games directly to their devices without the need for a powerful gaming PC or console. However, despite its ambitious goals, Stadia failed to gain significant traction among gamers. The main reasons for discontinuation include:
Lack of Exclusive Content – Stadia lacked the exclusive games that could attract hardcore gamers to the platform. Most of the games available on Stadia were also available on other gaming platforms, making it difficult for Stadia to stand out.
Technical Issues – Stadia experienced numerous technical issues, such as lag and buffering, which made the gaming experience frustrating for many users. The platform’s unstable performance further hindered its adoption among gamers.
Competition from Other Platforms – Stadia faced stiff competition from established gaming platforms like Google Now, Xbox, and Nintendo, which offered more mature gaming ecosystems with a wider variety of games and features.
Google+
Google+ was a social networking platform launched in 2011. It aimed to compete with Facebook, but it never gained significant popularity. Google+ was plagued by security concerns and privacy issues, which led to a mass exodus of users. Reasons for discontinuation include:
Security Breaches – Google+ suffered several security breaches that exposed the personal data of millions of users. These breaches severely damaged user trust and eroded public perception of the platform.
Lack of User Engagement – Google+ failed to attract and retain users. The platform’s design and features were not as user-friendly as those of Facebook, and it lacked the social network’s critical mass of users.
Competition from Facebook – Facebook was already the dominant social networking platform, and Google+ struggled to compete with its established user base, features, and network effects.
Google Glass
Google Glass was a wearable computing device that aimed to integrate information and communication into the user’s field of view. It was a revolutionary concept, but it never gained mainstream adoption due to privacy concerns, usability issues, and a high price tag. Although it was discontinued prematurely, Google Glass paved the way for devices that are becoming increasingly popular today, such as Apple Vision Pro, Microsoft HoloLens 2, and Sony PlayStation VR2. Main reasons for discontinuation include:
Privacy Concerns – Google Glass raised significant privacy concerns about the recording and sharing of user data without their consent. The device’s ability to capture and share videos and audio in real-time made it a target for privacy activists and critics.
Usability Issues – Google Glass was criticized for its cumbersome design and the difficulty of interacting with its features while wearing it. The device’s limited functionality and awkward form factor made it impractical for everyday use.
High Price and Limited App Selection – Google Glass was priced at a premium compared to other wearable devices, and it lacked a wide selection of apps and services. This limited its appeal to a broader audience and made it difficult for users to justify the high price.
G Suite
G Suite was a suite of productivity and collaboration tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. It was a popular choice for businesses, but Google decided to discontinue its consumer version in 2020 and focus on the business market, rebranding G Suite into Workspace. Reasons for discontinuation include:
Focus on Business Market – Google decided to prioritize its business-oriented G Suite for Enterprises, which offered more advanced features and customization options for businesses. The consumer version was seen as less profitable and less aligned with Google’s business goals.
Rising Competition – The consumer productivity market was becoming increasingly competitive, with Microsoft’s Office 365 and other cloud-based productivity suites posing a significant challenge to G Suite.
Changing User Preferences – Consumers were increasingly adopting cloud-based productivity tools, but they also preferred flexible and customizable options. G Suite for Consumers did not offer the level of customization and flexibility that users desired.
Project Ara
Project Ara was a modular smartphone project that aimed to revolutionize the way smartphones were designed and assembled. It allowed users to customize their smartphones by swapping out different modules for the camera, display, battery, and other components. However, the project was canceled in 2016.
Reasons for discontinuation are mainly related to technical challenges. Developing a modular smartphone with a reliable and user-friendly design proved to be more complex than anticipated. The project faced challenges in ensuring compatibility, durability, and overall performance across different modules, which could have led to compatibility issues and a fragmented user experience. Additionally, the modular design raised concerns about the durability of the smartphone, as users would swap out components frequently. Finally, ensuring consistent and reliable performance across all modules was a significant challenge, as each module could have varying technical specifications and compatibility issues.
Overall, the technical complexities of developing a reliable and user-friendly modular smartphone proved to be too daunting for Google to overcome. The project faced numerous challenges, including ensuring compatibility, durability, and consistent performance across different modules. These challenges ultimately led to the project’s cancellation in 2016. However, the modular smartphone idea sparked interest in the industry and inspired similar endeavors.
In Conclusion
Google’s tendency to discontinue promising projects is indicative of the company’s willingness to take risks and explore new ideas. Over the years, the company has discontinued almost 300 apps, services, and hardware products. While this might leave some users disappointed, it allows Google to reallocate resources to projects deemed more likely to succeed. Looking ahead, the company is likely to introduce new products and services, although the longevity of each remains uncertain.
