It was the Facebook killer when it was in beta and you needed an invite. Then it launched and no one left Facebook for G+ and it was quickly forgotten. Google shits the bed on everything except search and Android. But Microsoft, Sony, Apple are expected to hit home runs with every product release. What's the fucking deal?
Honestly, the outlook of Google+ at any point becoming profitable is so far gone that I think it's sound for them to cutt it off. Lamentable, yes, because I was just staring to find good posters (much like reader at the time of its beheading). On the other hand, Google is quick and to act on short term successes, such as its partnership with Uber on self driving cars, X-space challenge (or whatever it was called) but the company doesn't seem to have the patience for long term profit sinks. If a product doesn't have an instant profitablity, it disappears.
Microsoft, Sony, and Apple are expected to hit home runs with every product release because their marketing departments always point to the fences. With most products, Google just kind of pushes them out the door. Google+ excepted, but you can't say it didn't get shit for being a massive flop.