I'm not sure, but I've noticed the result is that I'm consciously using fewer and fewer google services. The more they keep doing this (just abandoning products

I'm not sure, but I've noticed the result is that I'm consciously using fewer and fewer google services. The more they keep doing this (just abandoning products, or charging astronomically more for them), the less likely I am to use their other services - or new ones, because I don't trust that they'll be around tomorrow. If you continuously show someone you're not stable or reliable, eventually they'll take the hint and believe you. I hope that's what they're going for because it's working. This year there's just been a lot of this with Inbox, G+, Maps increases, and now Hangouts.