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[Outrunner]

So Game Pass has been gaining more and more traction the last few months, Microsoft is investing everything in making sure it becomes a success and that they will find subscribers across a multitude of platforms. EA, Bethesda and soon Ubisoft are all important entries in the service but if Game Pass really becomes the success that Microsoft wants, how do you think it will affect the rest of the industry? Which impact do you think this will have in the quality, length and monetization of video games and how do you think other companies will react?

 

[Mr.ODST]

So Game Pass has been gaining more and more traction the last few months, Microsoft is investing everything in making sure it becomes a success and that they will find subscribers across a multitude of platforms. EA, Bethesda and soon Ubisoft are all important entries in the service but if Game Pass really becomes the success that Microsoft wants, how do you think it will affect the rest of the industry? Which impact do you think this will have in the quality, length and monetization of video games and how do you think other companies will react?

Will just mean im not spending £70 on a game ill play for a few weeks complete and never go back to

Also the fact im not spending £70 on being a guinea pig for unfinished games

 

[mxbison]

For now it's good.

When you need like 6 different subscriptions to play all the good games, it's gonna really suck.

No way Sony ,Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc. are not joining in sooner or later and paying big for exclusives. Only one I could see still doing their own thing is Nintendo.

 

[jroc74]

I dont see any effect outside of MS's ecosystem.

Just like other markets that have subscription services. Ppl like to bring up music but for movies, which is a better comparison, its still business as usual. Some of the major companies already have some type of sub service now anyway. Its all a matter of tweaking, making slight changes to their existing service.

It's all about finding, making content available for it.

 

[IntentionalPun]

It'll be an option for gamers and devs alike.

That's about it.

I'll probably still mostly buy my games.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I don’t care how good game pass is now everything needs upgrades. In the long run I just think PS + is a more buttoned up experience, I love PS +.

 

[LostDonkey]

It's affected my gaming massively. Where as usually I can only enjoy 2 or 3 games a year at launch due to commitments and finances I can now be a part of more game launches and sample a larger selection of games I just would never have done

It means I no longer have to wait for sales and miss games that people have already migrated from to the newer version or next big thing. Keeps me in the loop.

Big thumbs up from me.

 

[IntentionalPun]

It's affected my gaming massively. Where as usually I can only enjoy 2 or 3 games a year at launch due to commitments and finances I can now be a part of more game launches and sample a larger selection of games I just would never have done

It means I no longer have to wait for sales and miss games that people have already migrated from to the newer version or next big thing. Keeps me in the loop.

Big thumbs up from me.

Honestly curious.. what game launches have you been able to be a part of because of GamePass?

 

[Fbh]

For MS first party I think it might affect the type of games and their budgets. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see them doing these 10-30 hours long AAA single player focused games, at least not frequently.
People will say "But Avowed, and Fable and TES6" but none of those games are out and we've literally seen nothing about them other than teaser trailers.

For third parties I don't think much will change.
It will probably work like movies worked before the pandemic. You have the theater release ($60-70 launch for games), some months later it's on demand (first $30-40 sales for games) and then eventually it shows up on a subscription service.

 

[Stuart360]

It will just be side option for years to come, and more options for gamers is a GOOD thing. I predicted Gamepass will hit 50mil subs by the end of the gen, but even if it does hit that number, we will be talking 50mil users from 60+mil Xbox users and 200mil PC users.
It will be a LONG time before subscription services like Gamepass are the only was to game.

 

[eddie4]

I have a feeling it will end up like streaming services, 30+ to choose from and nothing to play, because everyone will start to get greedy. If it stays like it is, it might work, as long as they have all the games available.

 

[Chukhopops]

I think other models will still exist, just like in other industries where subscription models coexist with standard models.

I don’t see others getting in this business because they have no pressure to do so - consumers don’t seem to mind paying full price so why change?

 

[CitizenZ]

keeps mediocre studios alive.

 

[Jadsey]

Game Pass is a proven breeding ground for mediocrity.

 

[Mmnow]

Gamepass elegantly solves a number of issues the industry has been trying to crack for, what? 20 years?

The used game industry is no longer necessary. Rising price of production? Not as big an issue when you can rely on subscriptions. How do you keep a game bringing in cash after the first month? Doesn't matter.

It either works or it doesn't. If it gets a billion subscribers, everybody wins. If it fizzles out at 15m, life just returns to normal.

But it's absolutely going to work because, as I say, it's too elegant a solution for it to fail really.

 

[Garret Bobby Ferguson]

It puts a little pressure on sony to give bigger games on ps plus or ps now at least. If the catalog ends up good, I'll probably end up buying an xbox later and using it to catch up on games especially if elder scrolls is exclusive and if obsidians game is good

 

[Skifi28]

For now it's good.

When you need like 6 different subscriptions to play all the good games, it's gonna really suck.

No way Sony ,Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc. are not joining in sooner or later and paying big for exclusives. Only one I could see still doing their own thing is Nintendo.

I share the same thoughts. For now it's great, but the future might not be looking so hot. I also don't like how it already has trained many people to not buy games making that future appear even more likely "Why get it? I'll wait until it's on GP"

People are free to label me as "concerned", but I'm a cynic and seeing this is my main hobby, I can't help but see the worst outcome.

 

[LostDonkey]

Honestly curious.. what game launches have you been able to be a part of because of Gam

Valhalla, Grounded, The medium, Gears 5 so far.

Games I wouldnt have been able to afford at launch and would have had to wait for a sale months down the line.

 

[Captain Toad]

Game makers making games for GamePass do not need to worry about their games being good enough to sell for $60-$70. They just need to be seen as good enough to help keep people paying monthly subscribed. That takes off a lot of pressure and they don't need to bother spending as much to make better games.

Some people will happily rent games through this service even if the majority of the games they never would have been willing to pay for outright. Or they will wait years for the games they want to play in hopes they ultimately are released on this rental service.

 

[Schmick]

Valhalla, Grounded, The medium, Gears 5 so far.

Games I wouldnt have been able to afford at launch and would have had to wait for a sale months down the line.

Vahalla?

Add SoT and Flight Simulator to that as well.

 

[Reality Czar]

It won't. People have been renting games since forever, this is just a new form of that.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I don't think it's ever going to take over the industry or become "the norm." It's great right now, but if it ever got too big then curation would once again become a problem and likely Microsoft's wallet would tighten up a bit.

 

[reksveks]

Like Netflix or Disney, you will have your blockbuster games, you will have GaaS type games and you will have indie games that give you an air of prestige.

 

[LostDonkey]

Vahalla?

Add SoT and Flight Simulator to that as well.

No you're right It wasn't Valhalla, I got that with the system.

 

[Jigsaah]

Game Pass is a proven breeding ground for mediocrity.

I mean you're only looking at one side of it. Sure not every game is a blockbuster, but there are some very good games on Gamepass that I would have never bought that I tried and was pleasantly surprised. Games like Stellaris, a Plagues Tale, Bloodstained, Rage 2, Doom Eternal (I'm not a big Doom fan), Ace Combat 7, Flight Simulator, Code Vein. A lot of these games are very good.

 

[Tickle My Tendies]

Always a stealth "Game Pass concern" thread after a "Good Game Pass News" thread gets posted.

It's already a successs, it's been around for quite awhile. Not sure why this question is being asked again, this late into the game.

Game Pass isn't going to killl AAA games. I know that's the narrative you wanna spin.

 

[TheContact]

game pass is the reason I would buy an xbox over a ps5. I think sony is going to have to do something similar to compete.

 

[manfestival]

Gamepass is the Halo, WoW, Mario killer that everyone has been waiting for all of these years. IT HAS TRASCENDED. PEOPLE CANT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

 

[MiguelItUp]

It'll be an option for gamers and devs alike.

That's about it.

I'll probably still mostly buy my games.

Exactly how I feel. For some gamers and devs, it will be essentially life changing. For others, it will be a nice addition.

I'm subscribed, but will most certainly still purchase games I'm super excited about be it they're launching on Game Pass or not.

 

[Stuart360]

Always a stealth "Game Pass concern" thread after a "Good Game Pass News" thread gets posted.

It's already a successs, it's been around for quite awhile. Not sure why this question is being asked again, this late into the game.

Game Pass isn't going to killl AAA games. I know that's the narrative you wanna spin.

Once Sony make their own version of Gamepass (and they will imo), all these 'concerns' will drift away in the wind.

 

[GymWolf]

Honestly curious.. what game launches have you been able to be a part of because of GamePass?

Hopefully this.

 

[Drewpee]

I dont see any effect outside of MS's ecosystem.

Just like other markets that have subscription services. Ppl like to bring up music but for movies, which is a better comparison, its still business as usual. Some of the major companies already have some type of sub service now anyway. Its all a matter of tweaking, making slight changes to their existing service.

It's all about finding, making content available for it.

You can Stream Coming To America 2 on Prime right now and Godzilla vs Kong day 1 on HBO Max. It is not business as usual.

 

[Outrunner]

I think other models will still exist, just like in other industries where subscription models coexist with standard models.

I don’t see others getting in this business because they have no pressure to do so - consumers don’t seem to mind paying full price so why change?

I think it's a business model that requires a lot of investment that won't have immediate return and I don't think anyone else has the the same financial capacity as Microsoft to do this. So not sure if it's about feeling pressure.

 

[Shmunter]

For widest gamepass reach, games need to be cross gen. Building a portfolio of next gen only games will invalidate the service for Xone users. How do you treat that? Discount? Sub numbers would fall and bad sentiment rise.

Xcloud is also limited to last gen and needs new content regularly.

 

[sunnysideup]

Gamepass is lame as fuck. Aint got no time for subpar netflix shit.

 

[Derktron]

It would save money on car insurance by me not having to spend $70 for a damn game, plus I'm a person who can wait for a game to go down on sale. No need to rush out and get a game.

 

[Derktron]

Gamepass is lame as fuck. Aint got no time for subpar netflix shit.

Lol

 

[SirTerry-T]

Not sure if it will affect gaming this week but sometime next week when a thread asking the same question gets posted? Who knows?

 

[NullZ3r0]

GamePass is good for gaming. If not for it, I would never have played Nier Automata. I just tried it to see if I would like it and ended up falling in love with the game. If I had to spend money on it, I would have dismissed it for being "too Japanese".

There's no longer any apprehension for me when it comes to gaming. I can try a game. If I like it, then great. If I don't then no big deal, nothing was lost.

 

[baphomet]

The only thing I've seen it do is tank sales of physical Xbox (Series,One) games. People just don't buy them anymore. First party are obviously available on there day one, but even third party games no longer sell.

I know when ordering a new game these days one of the largest chains in my area only order about 30 copies of a new Xbox game opposed to 200+ copies of the PlayStation version. That's to split between multiple stores. Also looking back over 2020's game sales, the One sold less units than the PlayStation 1 did.

That obviously isn't the entire picture and it's only a portion of data from my area, but it's still kinda crazy. Obviously this doesn't account for digital sales. For their sake and the industries I hope they're making a good decision, but I know personally they may get like $30 from me in a year compared to previously when I would buy at least a couple first party games a year from them.

 

[dcmk7]

I think it's a good place for AA games.

 

[Ellery]

Games will be build for it from the scratch. When costumers get stuff in a giant "bundle" then expectations of quality go down.

Microsoft will probably focus more on AA games instead of big AAA(A) high quality single player games.
Probably a lot more "additional downloadable content" for those Gamepass games as well where the standard version is free on Gamepass, but if you want to enjoy the full game then you have to pay extra.
Developers could also design games around it having people spend a lot of "filler hours" in bland open world games so that the devs/publishers get more money from Microsoft from having people "play" those games for many hours.
More GaaS probably.

Long term worst case scenario is hard to say, but what I can say is that I am glad that Playstation and Nintendo hold nearly all of my favorite IPs and Xbox can't touch them. (Can't believe I am actually happy about exclusivity since I am usually happy when something comes to PC).

Xbox has a chance to prove me wrong in the coming 6-7 years, but I am not the target audience of gamepass. That doesn't stop me from paying 1$ a month to play TES6, Starfield and some other stuff they got from Bethesda that was already in development prior to the acquisition.

 

[FrankWza]

I can try a game. If I like it, then great. If I don't then no big deal, nothing was lost.

Ah, exactly what the developers had in mind when they started their 2-5 year process.

 

[Beer Baelly]

GP is here

 

[MonarchJT]

it's just incredible ..really game changer
if they continue like this I'll never unsub

 

[dalekjay]

For me to spend a 70 on a game it better be a fucking megaton, no going back, Gamepass it’s, and ps5 whichI (I have PlayStation as main console since ps1 first interaction) will be for single player exclusives when it get a fair discount (over 50%)

if I played 3ish years worth of GP since last December.
I may add my hyperbole that if gamepass ends I will cut 90% of my game time and focus on motorcycle more

 

[Bo_Hazem]

It's affected my gaming massively. Where as usually I can only enjoy 2 or 3 games a year at launch due to commitments and finances I can now be a part of more game launches and sample a larger selection of games I just would never have done

It means I no longer have to wait for sales and miss games that people have already migrated from to the newer version or next big thing. Keeps me in the loop.

Big thumbs up from me.

I'm very happy for you, seriously.

 

[Pedro Motta]

I mean you're only looking at one side of it. Sure not every game is a blockbuster, but there are some very good games on Gamepass that I would have never bought that I tried and was pleasantly surprised. Games like Stellaris, a Plagues Tale, Bloodstained, Rage 2, Doom Eternal (I'm not a big Doom fan), Ace Combat 7, Flight Simulator, Code Vein. A lot of these games are very good.

If I'm not wrong, with the exception of FS2020, none of those games were day on Gamepass. They had sales before, only then released on Gamepass. It will be this way for every major third party release outside Microsofts Money hat.

 

[Craig of War]

Gamepass It the Netflix and Disney Plus of gaming

 

[12Dannu123]

I think other models will still exist, just like in other industries where subscription models coexist with standard models.

I don’t see others getting in this business because they have no pressure to do so - consumers don’t seem to mind paying full price so why change?

Others won't be getting into the business because no one can directly compete against Microsoft, they know that MS has money to burn until they gain a large amount of subscribers.

I expect if publishers are going to get into this business, they will most likely integrate their service into Game Pass.