Xbox Scarlett and PlayStation 5 launches will be all about service games

Google Stadia’s launch didn’t make sense. The cloud-gaming service debuted with nearly two dozen games, but they are nearly all premium-priced products that were previously available on other platforms. And few people seem excited to jump into Stadia to buy those games. But the problem with Stadia isn’t the existence of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey or Mortal Kombat 11. The issue is the almost complete absence of live-service games. The same games that are going to prop up the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Project Scarlett consoles through their first year.

One Stadia game, however, does make sense. Destiny 2 enables players to bring in their existing saves, and it is complementary as part of the Stadia Pro service. Fans can get it on Stadia and grind missions on their phone and then pick it up on another platform with their friends. But where are all the other live-service games — especially ones that are free-to-play or support cross-platform multiplayer? While acknowledging that porting and business deals for Fortnite or Apex Legends aren’t easy, it still seems inexcusable for a major platform launching in 2019 not to have those games.