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Microsoft might be Considering Subscription Service for Windows Games

Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
http://www.eteknix.com/microsoft-conswindows-gaming
More worryingly, it seems Microsoft is planning to try and monetize Windows gaming in a similar vein to Xbox Live Gold. Yusuf said:

“And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox live in all these games that you are using, whether it’d be Solitaire or Minecraft and now what we see is, we have almost the same number of Xbox live monthly active on Windows as we do on the console.”

“To be fair it’s not the same: the console uses our Xbox Live Gold, paying subscribers. These are free customers, but the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.”
Click to expand...

Source: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op...t.com/investor/downloads/events/Yusuf_CS.docx
Credit to: ashecitism and lashman

Really hope they drop this idea, can't see it going over any better than GFWL.
 
T

Tagyhag

Member
They definitely should, not only are there more services than when they first tried this, but Steam is much more improved since then.

Seeing them make stupidass mistakes and having shit thrown on their face never gets old.
 
S

shandy706

Member
Heh, if Microsoft wants to give me 2 free games a month on PC (as part of Gold)...I'll take it.


Edit** I'm not seeing Gold/Live subscriptions in the OP...is there a lot more in the link, I'm missing something.
 
G

Guevara

Member
This year is the best Xbox lineup
Next year will also be the best Xbox lineup
Every year is the best Xbox lineup
 
jshackles

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
statham said:
I'm not seeing where he says that in the quote.
Click to expand...

Well, from the source document linked in the OP:

And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox Live and all these games that you're using, whether it be Solitaire or Minecraft, and now what we see is we have almost the same number of Xbox Live monthly actives on Windows as we do on the console. And to be fair, not the same, console user Xbox Live Gold paying subscribers, these are free customers. But the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.
Click to expand...

Jaw you might want to add that to the OP
 
K

kinoki

Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Of course they want people on a subscription. However what he said isn't that.

Okay, maybe he did.

But the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.
Click to expand...
 
Y

Yurikerr

This post isn't by me, it's by a guy with the same username as me.
I think OP forgot this part of the article, were the subscription is talked about:

More worryingly, it seems Microsoft is planning to try and monetize Windows gaming in a similar vein to Xbox Live Gold. Yusuf said:

“And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox live in all these games that you are using, whether it’d be Solitaire or Minecraft and now what we see is, we have almost the same number of Xbox live monthly active on Windows as we do on the console.”

“To be fair it’s not the same: the console uses our Xbox Live Gold, paying subscribers. These are free customers, but the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.”
Click to expand...
 
S

sonto340

Member
The only way they could even begin to justify this is full on cross platform games. Xbox One games running on PC. I can't see any world in which people will pay for a subscription model on PC unless they lock something ground breaking behind it.

Now, if they're saying they want your current gold subscription to unlock benefits on the PC side of things that's a completely different story and a great strategy for winning back some mindshare in the PC gaming space.
 
5

5taquitos

Member
Come on, are you just trying to conjure up outrage here? There's nothing about subscriptions or Live accounts.

Edit: I see the actual quote now, that's a bit worrying.
 
T

Tagyhag

Member
CosmicQueso said:
It's because he didn't say that.
Click to expand...

Oh but he did.

And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox Live and all these games that you're using, whether it be Solitaire or Minecraft, and now what we see is we have almost the same number of Xbox Live monthly actives on Windows as we do on the console. And to be fair, not the same, console user Xbox Live Gold paying subscribers, these are free customers. But the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.
Click to expand...
 
B

Bessy67

Member
If they're going to keep bringing more Xbox games to PC they almost have to. They can't really charge Xbox users for the same experience that PC users are getting for free, and they'll never remove the gold multiplayer requirement on consoles.
 
N

Nzyme32

Member
Rise of the Tomb Raider could be an Xbox Live PC "exclusive" behind a lovely paid sub wall? How thrilling a prospect.

Even slamming the titles that interest me behind it, such as Halo Wars 2, KI, Quantum Break etc, nothing will get a monthly payment out of me on top of paying for the games.
 
F

flkraven

Member
If they try that it's pretty crazy unless they have some massive added value proposition. Like 360 backwards compatibility with Netflix-style access.
 
Iorv3th

Iorv3th

Member
Well they automatically install candy crush soda saga on your new windows 10 machine for you without your say. They are trying to be advocates of PC gaming.
 
J

jelly

Member
They will but they'll have to sell it very well like free games, crackdown and the cloud, other dedicated server options for games. I don't know how a company like MS will sell it though, it might just have to be too good that it isn't actually worth doing because of the cost.
 
D

DeaviL

Banned
Hey Microsoft, remember the last time you tried this?
...
No?
That's probably because you don't want to remember.


Don't even try.
 
N

npa189

Member
Don't really see where they are talking about a subscription, but now that we have xbone controller drivers and the wireless dongle they don't need to do much else. Free games would be nice, but I don't think they could put anything that great up there.
 
K

Kezen

Banned
I'm open to it, if the value is there.

I suspect not many PC gamers will agree with me, but that could give Microsoft more reasons to release their AAA stuff on PC.
 
T

The Jackdog

Member
one guy makes comment that can slightly be interpreted as something = whole company is considering and probably will happen.

keep on keeping on guys
 
kavanf1

kavanf1

Member
sonto340 said:
The only way they could even begin to justify this is full on cross platform games. Xbox One games running on PC. I can't see any world in which people will pay for a subscription model on PC unless they lock something ground breaking behind it.

Now, if they're saying they want your current gold subscription to unlock benefits on the PC side of things that's a completely different story and a great strategy for winning back some mindshare in the PC gaming space.
Click to expand...
This is almost exactly what I wanted to post. I'm willing to wait and see how it works to see if there is actual value in it from a PC gaming perspective.
 
N

Nzyme32

Member
Ricky Ricardo said:
Good job OP, you'll bait the unwashed masses for sure.

The subject is not actually mentioned in the body, imagine that.
Click to expand...

The source document does talk about it

And then you have the ability to effectively now start to get Xbox Live and all these games that you're using, whether it be Solitaire or Minecraft, and now what we see is we have almost the same number of Xbox Live monthly actives on Windows as we do on the console. And to be fair, not the same, console user Xbox Live Gold paying subscribers, these are free customers. But the ability to build a subscription business on the back of that now, you can start to see some light for that opportunity.
Click to expand...
 
S

shandy706

Member
Yurikerr said:
I think OP forgot this part of the article, were the subscription is talked about:
Click to expand...

Yeah, he did...although I'm not sure he's talking about a "new" subscription, but simply an extension of what you have on the X1.

Hard to say in any way exactly what that means.
 
N

nynt9

Member
Oh god no. I'm not ready for another bout of this bullshit again. GFWL almost ruined PC gaming and made some games forever unplayable.
 
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