Author Archives: Jade Raymond

Our new Stadia Games and Entertainment Studio in Playa Vista


Stadia Games and Entertainment is setting out to change the way we play, enjoy and create video games. With Stadia, the creative possibilities are limitless. But we can’t build those experiences without a talented team of game designers, artists and storytellers. We started that journey with the opening of Stadia’s first original games studio in Montreal late last year. Today, we’re adding a new Stadia Games and Entertainment studio in Playa Vista, California, which will be led by an industry veteran, Shannon Studstill.

The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we’re just starting to explore. While we’re not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences.

I’ve been a fan of Shannon’s for a long time, and have admired her award-winning work leading Sony’s Santa Monica Studio and the industry defining franchises like God of War that have won fans all over the world. She has an extensive background in product development and creative leadership, but most importantly, she’s a visionary who, as the Studio Director, will lead and inspire the Playa Vista teams. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Stadia family!

Stadia is designed to be the one destination for all the ways we play. It’s key to bring on talent that not only has success in delivering the industry’s best content, but also has creative ideas around how to embrace this new and unique way to create. 

Building a world-class studio piece-by-piece is a unique opportunity that you don't often get in the game industry.And we want to do it with you. 

Typhoon Studios joins Stadia Games and Entertainment

Working with some of the best game creators in the world, we’ve learned that a successful studio comes down to great people who have a vision to execute on the best ideas. We’re always looking for people who share our passion and vision for the future of gaming, which is why I’m so excited that Typhoon Studios, the independent developers behind the upcoming Journey to the Savage Planet, is joining Stadia Games and Entertainment. 

Under the leadership of its co-founders, Reid Schneider & Alex Hutchinson, Typhoon Studios has built an incredible team of industry veterans who are committed to the player experience. The Typhoon team will be joining our first Stadia Games and Entertainment studio that is based in Montreal and led by Sébastien Puel. 

Typhoon Studios will continue to work on the launch of Journey to the Savage Planet for multiple platforms on January 28, 2020. Meanwhile, our priority will be on integrating the team from Typhoon Studios into Stadia Games and Entertainment. We’re thrilled to welcome this incredibly talented team to the Google family!

Finalists from our Design Challenge are Changing the Game

Research shows that while half of all mobile game players are women, only 23 percent of them think there’s equal treatment and opportunity in the industry. In order to promote women as players and creators, Change The Game empowers the next generation of game makers so all players can feel represented and engaged. 

Our annual Design Challenge encouraged teenagers nationwide to design an original game. We received over 1,500 entries and selected five finalists, who worked with Girls Make Games. These winning games are now available for download on Google Play.

Read more about our finalists, their vision, and the inspiration behind their games below:

Grand prize winner: Anna, 18 years old, from New York.

Anna was inspired to create Brightlove when she noticed a lack of active intervention by her peers in situations when someone was being bullied or hurt. Brightlove encourages players to be kind and to take action, rather than being mere bystanders. A refreshing contrast to the violence that often permeates mobile games, Brightlove encourages positive actions and rewards kindness.
Bright Love

Bridgette, 16 years old, from Washington.

Bridgette had been toying with the idea ofLune for quite some time, but Change The Game “gave her the push she needed to bring her thoughts to life.” She wanted to create a game that combined both entertaining mechanics while also telling a powerful narrative. Lune takes place in a distant future where humanity has achieved deep space travel and created sentient AI. The player is prompted to make choices that will dictate her performance, battle options, and ultimately decide her fate.

Lune

Grace, 15 years old, from Texas.

Grace’s interest in game design comes from an unorthodox place. She wasn’t a big gamer growing up. But when she discovered YouTube, she also discovered creators who worked on game development. This inspired her to create games of her own. This particular game idea came to her when she was walking her dog, a miniature poodle named Lucy. Good Dogs Bring Joy flips the virtual pet game idea on its head. The user plays as a dog named Alex who wants to help their owner to collect information about the world. What will they sniff up together?
Good Dogs

Krista, 18 years old, from New Hampshire.

Krista has always been fascinated by games that have a relatable and personable story to follow. With Spectrum, Krista wanted to capture a feeling of love and belonging, as well as the ability to do something about the various situations life throws at you. Fun fact: Spectrum evolved from doodles and sketches, with little notes in the margins. Spectrum is a 2D platformer fantasy game in which “sprites” small pixie-like creatures, are taking over the bodies of other creatures on Earth, controlling their actions and powers.
Spectrum

Neha, 15 years old, from California.

Neha was watching a show about the vastness of the universe at a planetarium when she was struck with the idea of YuMe. Living in a society caught up with differences and judgement, Neha was inspired to focus on similarities and how we can all belong as one. The word “yume” in Japanese means dream, and the game name, YuMe, is a play on the word which combines the English words “You” and “Me.” The title expresses that the character’s dream is for “you and me” to meet.
Yume

Inspired to learn more about game making? Interested in empowering the next generation of game-makers? Learn more about Change The Game today.

Game on! Our first Stadia studio is coming to Montréal

As a child, I spent countless hours playing video games with my sisters. They transported us to exciting new worlds and took us on captivating adventures. They even taught us valuable life skills—three kids and only two controllers meant we had to learn problem solving and cooperation pretty quickly!


I was also fortunate to live in Montréal, a city with an amazing gaming legacy, having launched dozens of studios, thousands of careers, and countless incredible games. Today I’m thrilled to announce our contribution to that heritage, with the creation of Google’s very first original games studio in Montréal. 


Stadia Games and Entertainment’s studio will produce exclusive, original content across a diverse portfolio of games in all your favorite genres. Stadia is designed to be one destination for all the ways people play games—and Montréal is where we’re going to start building them.


Just as Stadia intends to change the way games are accessed and experienced by players, we want to change the way games are made. That starts with our culture. Stadia is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace; these diverse perspectives will shape the games we create together. We’re committed to building an environment that will empower the developers who work at Stadia to create new, unique gaming experiences. (P.S. If you’re interested in joining us, check open positions on our jobs site.)


I’ve been making games for a while now, and wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had for anything. But we can do better. We can do more. At Stadia, we don’t believe in being “good enough.” We believe in being more: More ambitious. More inclusive. More accessible. More immersive. More engaging. We’re bringing that mentality to Stadia Games and Entertainment, and now with our first studio, we’re looking for the best developers on the planet to join us.